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The  Origin,  the  Organization 


Location  of  the  Staple  of  England 


A  Thesis  presented  to   the  Faculty  of  Philosophy  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania 


BY 

ADALINE  L.  JENCKES 


In  Partial  Fulfilment  of :  the   Requirements  for  the   Degree 
of  Doctor  of;  Philosophy 


'illLADrLMlIA,    1908 


mm 


The  Origin,  the  Organization 


Location  of  the  Staple  of  England 


A  Thesis  presented  to   the  Facuhy  of  Philosophy  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania 


BY 

ADALINE  L.  JENCKES 


In  Partial  Fulfilment  of   the    Requirements  for  the    Degree 
of  Doctor  of   Philosophy 


PHILADELPHIA,   I908 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  I 

PAGE 

The  Origin  and  Orgfanization  of  the  Staple 5 


Chapter   II 
The  Officers 25 


J  Chapter  III 

g  The  Methods  of  Conducting  the  Business 32 


Chapter   IV 
The  Location 40 


Appendix 5Q 

Bibliography 81 


437202 


THE  ORIGIN,  THE  ORGANIZATION  AND 

THE  LOCATION  OF  THE  STAPLE 

OF  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE    ORIGIN    AND    ORGANIZATION    OF   THE   STAPLE. 

The  Staple  of  England  played  an  important  part  in  the 
life  of  the  nation  from  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  to  the 
middle  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Having  as  it  did  a  monop- 
oly of  the  export  of  the  richest  natural  products  of  the  realm, 
its  enormous  trade  made  it  a  potent  factor  in  England's  early 
commercial  development.  The  customs  derived  from  the 
goods  exported  through  it,  formed  a  large  part  of  the  national 
income.  The  very  great  wealth  of  the  merchants  of  the 
Staple  made  it,  as  an  organization,  a  financial  power  which 
was  utilized  by  the  crown  not  only  to  furnish  money  for  minor 
military  operations,  but  for  nearly  a  century  to  pay  the  gar- 
rison at  Calais  and  to  keep  the  walls  of  that  city  in  repair. 
The  dependence  of  the  industrial  cities  of  the  Low  Countries 
upon  the  chief  of  all  its  exports,  wool,  brought  the  Staple 
very  early  into  contact  with  international  affairs.  Flanders, 
Brabant,  Holland,  Zealand,  Artois,  each  country  was  eager  to 
have  it  located  within  its  own  territory,  and  the  Staple  figured 
frequently  in  the  treaties,  especially  with  Flanders,  before  the 
capture  of  Calais  secured  for  it  a  location  on  the  continent 
free  from  all  international  disturbances. 

The  object  of  this  study  is  to  throw  some  light  on  what 
the  English  Staple  was,  to  explain  its  organization  and 
methods  of  business,  and  to  follow  the  changes  in  location  to 
which  it  was  subject  from  time  to  time. 

5 


6  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

Etymologists  agree  in  deriving  the  word  staple  from  the 
Low  German  stapel,^  through  the  Old  French  estaple  or  etaple. 
A  stapel  was  a  heap  or  pile ;  a  store-house  where  goods  were 
laid  out  in  order;  a  mart.''  In  the  documents  of  the  four- 
teenth century  the  word  evidently  means  a  public  market 
where  foreign  merchants  were  obliged  to  offer  their  goods  for 
sale.3  The  droit  d'  estaple  was  a  monopoly  possessed  by 
some  city,  especially  of  a  maritime  country,  over  the  traffic 
of  a  river  or  a  group  of  rivers,  by  which  it  could  compel  all 
merchants  passing  up  or  down  the  river  to  offer  their  goods 
for  sale  in  public  market  for  the  benefit  of  its  inhabitants, 
before  taking  them  elsewhere/  This  form  of  monopoly  was 
well  established  in  the  thirteenth  century.  In  1178  the  mer- 
chants of  Ghent  complained  that  the  town  of  Cologne  tried 
to  enforce  the  right  of  staple  upon  them  in  their  passage  up 

'  Du  Cange;  Littre;  Skeat.  The  idea  of  fixedness  runs  through  all  the  mean- 
ings of  the  Low  German.     (Skeat.) 

*  Archives  de  Bruges,  vol.  iv,  no.  924,  p.  291 quod  vos  plenum  posse 

habeatis  hujusmodi  locum  forensem  stapel  vocatum,  transferendi  .... 

*  Ibid.,  vol.  iii,  no.  735,  p.  229.  Cum  sepedicti  mercatores  dicte  hansie 
Almanie  a  tempore  dictarum  commotionum  in  dicto  regno  nostro  minima  fre- 
quentarunt,  ymo  staplam  et  forum,  siue  congregationem  et  ateruum  mercimoniarum 
suarum  aliquin  apud  Durdrest  in  Holandia  et  alibi  extra  regnum  nostrum  situarunt, 
tenuerunt,  et  vendidenmt. 

*Ibid.,  vol.  iii,  no.  815,  p.  360  (1323).  Item,  que  toute  maniere  dauoir 
venant  dedans  le  Zwin  quelque  jl  soil,  ancois  que  Ion  le  vende  ou  achate,  viendra 
a  son  droit  estaple  a  Bruges  et  non  ailleurs,  dont  estaple  sera;  se  ce  nest  auoir  que 
Ion  peut  mectre  sus  au  Dam  par  ainsi  que  les  marchans  laiment  la  mieulx  a  mectre 
sus  que  i  Bruges.     Cest  assauoir  vins,  velues  denrees,  etc. 

Item,  que  Ton  tiengue  ^  I'Escluse  nul  estaple  de  draps,  ni  taille  de  draps,  etc. 

Item,  que  nul  eslrainges  homs,  ne  nul  de  I'Escluse,  ne  autres,  ne  porra  bois 
meltre  sus  k  I'Escluse,  pour  estaple  tenir,  anQois  vendra  toute  maniere  de  bois  i 
son  droit  estaple.  (Letters  of  Louis  de  Nevers,  Count  of  Flanders,  regulating  the 
maritime  jurisdiction  of  his  cities  of  Bruges  and  I'Ecluse  and  the  staple  of  Bruges.) 

Ibid.,  vol.  ii,  no.  568,  p.  142;  ibid.,  vol.  vi,  no.  I122,  p.  53;  ibid.,  no.  1287, 
pp.  444-5;  no.  1 301,  pp.  458-9.  The  merchants  of  the  Hanse  had  taken  their 
wares  overland  to  the  fair  at  Antwerp;  Bruges  complained  that  her  right  of  staple 
had  been  violated. 

/bid.,  Tables  et  Glossaire,  Gloss,  flam.  V",  stapel,  pp.  612-3. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  7 

the  Rhine;'  while  in  125 1  the  city  of  Ghent  found  an  injus- 
tice in  the  tribute  which  the  city  of  Bruges  levied  on  all  traffic 
on  the  Zwin  through  the  right  of  staple,  and  undertook  to 
remedy  it  by  building  a  canal  to  the  sea,  on  which  there 
should  be  no  staple.  ^  The  right  of  staple  was  exercised  at 
Dordrecht  in  Holland,  3  at  Bruges,  "♦  Mechlin,  "*  Ardenburg^ 
and  Damme  ^  in  Flanders,  and  at  Antwerp  in  Brabant,  ^  all 
before  1300.  But  this  practice  of  creating  in  a  certain  town 
a  monopoly  of  traffic,  was  not  limited  to  the  continent ;  for  in 
1 29 1,  Edward  I  of  England  made  provisions  for  a  staple  of 
wool,  leather  and  skins  to  be  held  in  each  of  sixteen  towns 
within  his  dominions.  ^ 

In  addition  to  these  local  staples  in  the  Low  Countries  and 
in  the  British  Isles  there  was,  during  almost  the  whole  of  the 
period  which  we  are  studying,  a  special  Staple  in  some  one 
of  the  continental  towns,  for  the  sale  of  English  merchandise. 
Sometimes  this  English  Staple  was  abolished  on  the  continent 
and  located  in  the  realm.  It  is  this  Staple  which  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  paper.  Just  what  relation  this  English  Staple 
bore  to  the  staple  of  the  town  where  it  was  located,  it  is  not 
possible  to  say ;  it  seems,  however,  even  in  its  beginnings, 
to  have  been  entirely  distinct  from  it  and  to  have  been 
moved  from  place  to  place  at  will.' 

'Wamkoenig,  Histoire  de  la  Flandre,  vol.  ii,  p.  427,  Piece  Justificatif. 

^  Archives  de  Bruges,  Introduction,  p.  464. 

'Melis  Stoke,  Chronicler  of  Holland,  iv,  243-4;  see  Davies,  History  of  Hol- 
land and  the  Dutch  Nation,  vol.  i,  p.  112. 

^  Ibid.,  iv,  p.  244;  see  Davies,  vol.  i,  p.  117;  Meyer,  Annal.  Fland.,  an"  1296; 
see  Kervyn  de  Lettenhove,  Histoire  de  Flandre,  vol.  ii,  p.  388. 

*  Warnkoenig,  vol.  ii,  p.  204. 

^Archives  de  Bruges,  Introduction,  p.  465. 

^Rymer,  Foedera,  O.  ed.,  ii,  206. 

'Hist.  MSS.  Com.,  14th  Report,  App.,  pt.  viii,  p.  6;  MSS.  of  the  Corporation 
of  Lincoln. 

'Melis  Stoke,  iv,  243-4;  see  Davies,  vol.  i,  pp.  112,  117;  Cal.  of  Pat.  Rolls, 
1301-1307,  p.  435;    Cal.  of  Close  Rolls,  1307-1313,  p.  293,  etal. 

There  is  some  evidence  that  there  were  in  these  countries  at  the  same  time  other 


8  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

The  connection  between  this  English  Staple  across  the 
Channel  and  the  staples  in  the  home  towns  is  also  obscure. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  they  existed  at  the  same  time.  When 
in  1 29 1  Edward  I  assigned  staples  to  certain  towns  in  Eng- 
land, Ireland  and  Wales,'  the  English  Staple  was,  and  had 
been  for  six  years,  at  Dordrecht  in  Holland;^  also  in  1312, 
the  king  in  council  ordained  that  the  merchants  should  buy 
their  wool,  leather  and  lead  in  the  home  staples,^  while  at  the 
same  time  the  foreign  Staple  was  being  held  at  Antwerp.  ♦ 
We  know  that  in  1371,  during  a  period  when  the  English 
Staple  was  located  in  the  realm  but  abolished  on  the  con- 
tinent, it  was  granted  by  parliament  that  a  staple  should  be 
held  at  Melcombe.s  In  1427,  when  the  Staple  was  at  Calais, 
parliament  granted  that  Melcombe  should  be  made  a  port 
from  which  merchandise  of  the  staple  could  be  shipped.  ^ 

staples  that  might  be  called  "  secondary  staples,"  for  the  king  more  than  once 
ordered  the  merchants  to  go  to  some  other  town  than  the  one  where  the  Staple 
was  located.  For  example,  in  1299,  while  the  Staple  was  still  at  Bruges,  the 
merchants  were  ordered  to  go  with  their  wool  to  Antwerp,  as  they  used  to  do. 
C.  P.  R.,  1292-1301,  p.  423.  But  the  Staple  was  not  removed  to  Antwerp  until 
some  years  later.  Moreover,  while  it  was  at  Antwerp  a  similar  order  was  issued 
with  regard  to  Ardenburg  in  Flanders.  C.  P.  R.,  1301-1307,  p.  435.  See  also 
Rymer,  Foedern,  O.  ed.,  ii,  737,  for  a  staple  at  Mechlin  at  the  same  time  as  at 
Bruges.  In  1341  wool  was  shipped  to  a  staple  at  Antwerp,  although  a  charter 
had  just  been  granted  establishing  the  English  Staple  at  Bruges.  C.  C.  R.,  1341- 
'343»  P-  299;  Rymer,  Foedera,  II,  iv,  109.  [Unless  otherwise  specified,  refer- 
ences to  the  Foedera  will  be  to  the  Hague  edition.] 

'^  Hist.  AfSS.  Com.,  14th  Report,  App.,  pt.  viii,  p.  6,  MSS.  of  the  Corporation 
of  Lincoln. 

'  Melis  Stoke,  iv,  243-4;  see  Davies,  vol.  i,  pp.  112,  117;  RjTner,  Foedera, 
R.  ed.,  ii,  737. 

^Annates  Paiilini,  Chronicles  of  Edward  I  and  II,  vol.  i,  p.  312.  (Rolls 
Series.) 

*  Comptes  de  la  ville  de  Bruges,  1305,  fo.  13;  see  Kervyn,  vol.  iii,  p.  160; 
C.  C.  R.,  1307-1313.?-  293- 

'Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p.  304a.  Et  .  .  .  in  Parlement  estoit  accorde  &  assentu  qe 
un  estaple  soit  mys  &  tenue  a  la  Ville  de  Melcombe. 

^  Statutes  of  the  Realm,  6  Henry  VI,  c.  6.  Every  Merchant  .  .  .  may  freely 
ship  .  .  .  Merchandises  of  the  Staple  in  the  Port  of  Melcombe,  in  the  County 
of  Dorset,  and  from  thence   ...  to  the  Staple  of  Calais. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  9 

The  records  also  show  that  in  1377  a  staple  was  removed 
from  Queensborough  to  Sandwich;'  in  1378  and  also  in  1455 
there  was  a  staple  for  wool  at  Westminster;^  in  1404  a  staple 
was  appointed  at  Ipswich  and  also  at  Lynn ;  3  and  in  1445 
Southampton  was  made  a  staple  town.*  These  places  are  all 
seaports  with  the  exception  of  Westminster,  which  has  the 
neighboring  port  of  London.  As  there  was  a  Staple  at  Cal- 
ais in  1377,  1378,  1404,  1445  and  1455,^  it  is  possible  that 
these  English  ports  were  made  places  from  which  the  mer- 
chandise of  the  staple  could  be  shipped  to  Calais,  as  in  the 
case  of  Melcombe,  and  that  from  this  they  were  called  staple 
ports,  or  simply,  staples.  If  we  consider  merely  that  the  ex- 
port of  merchandise  of  the  staple  was  limited  to  certain  ports 
where  the  customs  and  duties  were  collected,  then  the  con- 
nection between  the  foreign  Staple  and  these  staple  ports 
would  be  one  which  had  reality  only  in  so  far  as  it  had  to  do 
with  the  royal  Exchequer.  But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  they 
were  not  only  export  towns,  but  also  markets  where  the  mer- 
chants had  to  go  with  their  goods  before  exporting  them, 
then  the  question  arises,  was  there  any  connection  between 
these  local  home  staples  and  the  foreign  English  Staple  in 
the  matter  of  organization?  The  records  of  Southampton 
show  that  this  town,  at  least,  was  not  created  a  staple  merely 
for  the  export  of  merchandise  of  the  staple,  and  also  that  it 
had  an  independent  organization  of  the  staple.^     Southamp- 

*  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  iii,  p.  loa. 

*C.  P.  R. ,  1 377-1 38 1,  p.  293;    Rot.   Pari.,  vol.  v,  p.  334b. 

'Rot.   Pari.,  vol.  iii,  p.  560b. 

*nist.  MSS.  Com.,  nth  Report,  App.,  pt.  iii,  p.  45;    Southampton  MSS. 

*  Chapter  iv,  pp.  49-50. 

®Hist.  MSS.  Com.,  nth  Report,  App.,  pt.  iii,  p.  45;  Southampton  MSS. 
Letters  Patent  of  concessions  to  the  Mayor  and  Burgesses  of  Southampton. 
"That  the  said  town  shall  be  henceforth  and  forever  'una  stapula  tam  ad  recog- 
niciones  debitorum  in  eadem  stapula  juxta  formam  Statuti  Stapule  in  eadem  stapula 
accipiendas,  quam  ad  omnia  alia  ad  hujus  modi  stapulam  pertinencia  ibidem  facienda 
et  exercenda,'  and  that  on  Friday  before  the  P'east  of  St.  Matthew  the  Apostle, 


lO  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

ton  probably  was  not  an  exception.  Doubtless  all  the  local 
staples  in  the  home  towns  had  a  similar  organization  inde- 
pendent of  that  of  the  English  Staple,  whether  it  was  in  a 
foreign  land  or  within' the  realm. 

When  in  1616  new  staples  were  to  be  erected  in  Ireland, 
the  charters  which  had  been  in  force  in  1496  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  staples  in  England  were  taken  as  models,  in 
order  to  insure  uniformity.'  It  is  probable  that  there  were 
home  staples  at  least  during  the  entire  period  after  1353.'' 

The  Staple  should  be  distinguished  from  the  fair  and  from 
the  weekly  and  monthly  markets.  One  distinguishing  char- 
acteristic is  that  while  the  latter  were  periodical,  the  Staple 
was  continuous.  This  idea  of  its  permanence  comes  out  in 
the  application  of  the  word  to  the  town  itself  where  the  Staple 
was  held,  which  after  a  time  was  called  a  "  staple  town  " ;  we 
hear  also  of  the  "  staple  laws,"  "  staple  merchandise "  and 
"  staple  merchants  "  or  "  staplers." 

In  every  English  town  where  there  was  a  Staple,  there  were 
definite  bounds  within  which  it  was  held.  If  the  town  was 
walled,  the  Staple  was  bounded  by  the  walls ;  if  unwalled, 
then  it  was  coterminous  with  the  town.  3  The  part  of  the 
town  where  it  was  held  came  also  to  be  known  as  the 
"staple;"*  for  example,  we  read  in  the  statutes  that  the 
staple  of  Westminster  extended  from  Temple  Bar  to  Tuthill.s 
Within  the  bounds  of  the  staple  certain  buildings  were  set 

in  each  year,  the  said  Burgesses  and  their  successors  forever  shall  have  power  to 
elect  from  amongst  themselves  a  person  to  be  mayor  and  two  persons  to  be  con- 
stables of  the  said  staple  for  the  ensuing  year." 

'  Cal.  of  State  Papers,  Carew,  1603-1624,  p.  320,  no.  163. 

*The  Roll  of  the  Staple  from  which  the  Ordinance  of  the  Staple  (27  Edw.  Ill, 
St.  2)  is  printed  contains  the  appointment  of  the  several  mayors  and  constables  of 
the  staple  throughout  the  kingdom  for  every  year  from  the  27th  to  the  50th 
Edw.  Ill  [1353-1377],  Statutes  of  ike  Realm,  vol.  i,  p.  341,  Note. 

»S.  R.,  28Ewd.  Ill,  c.  15. 

*Littr6;  itape,  anciennement,  nom  donn6  aux  places  publiques,  oil  les  mar- 
chands  6taient  obliges  d'  apporter  leurs  marchandises,  pour  les  ymettre  en  vente. 

'S.  R.,  28  Edw.  Ill,  c.  15. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  I  I 

apart  as  store  houses  for  the  staple   merchandise;'  as  the  ; 
property  owners  were  tempted  to  ask  too  high  a  rent  for  their  j 
houses,  it  was  fixed  at  a  reasonable  amount  by  four  discreet 
men  of  the  town  together  with  certain  officers  of  the  Staple. ' 

The  merchandise  which  was  sold  in  the  English  Staple  con-  1 
sisted  of  the  raw  products  of  the  realm,  the  chief  of  which  \ 
were  wool,  wool-fells,  leather,   lead   and   tin.      These  were   ■ 
known  as  the  "  five  great  staple  articles."  3    Kdward  III  added 
worsted  cloth,  feathers,  cheese,  butter,  honey,  osiers,  peltfies 
and  tallow. •♦     Osiers,  peltries  and  tallow  appear  only  in  the 
list  of  the  year  1376,  ^  and  feathers  are  not  mentioned  after 
that  year.     Honey  is  not  heard  of  after  1397;^  worsted  cloth 
was  dropped  in  1402  ;7  butter  and  cheese  continued  on  the 
list  until  1440,  when  permission  was  granted  to  export  these 
articles  without  regard  to  the  Staple  since  they  were  so  per- 
ishable and  brought  so  low  a  price  that  the  merchants  com- 
plained that  they  could  not  bear  the  costs  of  the  Staple.  ^ 

The  manufacturing  cities  of  Brabant,  Flanders  and  Artois 
consumed  the  largest  amount  of  English  wool,  and  it  was 
natural,  therefore,  that  the  foreign  Staple  for  English  mer- 
chandise should  be  located  in  those  lands.  This  began  to  be 
the  practice  some  time  in  the  latter  half  of  the  thirteenth 
century.  9  As  far  as  can  be  judged  from  the  meagre  records 
of  this  period,  until  the  year  13  13  the  king  of  England  chose 
which  city  in  these  lands  should  be  granted  the  privilege  of 

*  The  word  staple  was  doubtless  used  also  for  the  store-houses  where  the  mer-   ! 
chandise  was  kept;   in  a  list  of  buildings  and  other  works  being  constructed  in 
Bruges  in  the  early  fourteenth  century,  there  was  mentioned  "  I'^tape  de  la  laine." 
Archives  de  Bruges,  Introduction,  p.  445. 

^S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  16. 

*  Ibid.,  27  Rich.  II,  c.  17. 

*  Rymer,  Foedera,  III,  i,  32;   iii,  47.  *>  Ilnd.,  Ill,  iii,  47. 
«S.  R.,  27  Rich.  II,  c.  17.                                   "i/bid,  2  H.  VI,  c.  4. 
^Ibid.,  18  H.  VI,  c.  3.  < 
^Melis  Stoke,  iv,   244;   see  Davies,  vol.  i,  pp.  112,  117;   Rymer,  Foedera,  I, 

iii,  168,  181;   C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  pp.  234-5. 


12  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

having  the  Staple  of  England  located  in  it. '  This  arrange- 
ment of  one  continental  market  for  the  raw  products  of  Eng- 
land did  not  arise  from  the  initiative  of  the  merchants ;  in 
fact  great  numbers  of  them  evaded  the  ordinances  which 
were  issued  for  them  to  attend  it.  *  At  first  they  were  not 
fined  for  disobeying,  and  consequently  much  wool  was  smug- 
gled out  of  the  country  and  taken  elsewhere  than  to  the 
Staple,  to  the  injury  of  those  merchants  who  did  attend  it. 
By  the  fourteenth  century  these  evasions  had  become  very 
serious,  and  in  13 13  a  charter  was  obtained  for  the  purpose 
of  preventing  this  abuse.  It  was  given  "  at  the  request  of 
both  native  and  alien  merchants,"  as  the  native  merchants 
afterwards  claimed. 3  This  charter  granted  to  the  "mayor 
and  communalty  of  the  merchants  of  the  realm  "  the  right  to 
choose  the  place  in  Flanders,  Brabant  or  Artois  where  the 
Staple  should  be  held,  and  to  which  all  the  wool  merchants 
were  required  to  go.  To  the  mayor  and  a  council  of  the 
merchants  was  granted  power  to  convict  and  fine  those  guilty 
of  infraction  of  the  charter.  ^ 

The  questions  naturally  arise,  who  were  these  merchants 
of  the  realm,  and  why  did  they  attend  the  Staple  while  other 
merchants  would  not  do  so  unless  under  compulsion? 

There  were  in  England  certain  of  the  merchants  of  the 
realm,  both  native  and  foreign,  whom  the  king  was  accus- 
tomed to  call  to  consult  with  him  in  his  council  concerning 
loans,  customs  and  subsidies,  grants  of  wool  and  other  matters 

'C.  P.  R.,  1292-1301,  p.  423;  ibid.,  1301-1307,  p.  435;  C.  C  R.,  1307- 
1313,  p.  293.  Comtes  de  la  ville  de  Bruges,  1305,  fo.  13;  see  Kervyn,  vol.  iii, 
p.  160. 

*  Ordinance  of  the  Staple,  Appendix,  pp.  59-61.  C.  P.  R.,  1313-1317,  pp.  I5i 
56;    1317-1321,  p.  477;    C.  C.  R.,  1323-1327,  p.  9,  et  at. 

»C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  p.  234. 

*  Breve  Domini  regis  de  stapida  lanarum,  Appendix,  pp.  61-2.  This  docu- 
ment, which  is  a  letter  patent,  is  always  referred  to  in  later  documents  as  the 
"  Charter  of  20  May,  6  Edw.  H."  An  ordinance  was  issued  on  the  same  day  to 
compel  the  merchants  to  go  to  the  Staple  chosen  by  the  mayor  and  the  merchants 
of  the  realm.     C.  P.  R.,  1307-1313,  p.  591. 


THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND  1 3 

touching  their  trade  and  the  king's  need.'  These  were  prob- 
ably the  richest  and  most  influential  of  the  wool  merchants. 
When  parliament  gave  the  king  a  grant  of  wool,  he  negotiated 
with  these  merchants  for  the  sale  of  it.'  Sometimes  he  sold 
it  to  them  outright,  at  other  times  he  arranged  with  them  for 
a  certain  part  of  the  proceeds,  after  they  had  sold  it  in  the 
continental  market.  They  were  habitually  spoken  of  as  the 
"  king's  merchants "  ^  or  the  "  merchants  of  the  realm." 
When  they  had  the  king's  wool  to  sell,  they  were  obliged  to 
take  it  to  the  market  which  he  established  ;■♦  and  it  was 
because  of  the  injury  done  to  them  and  through  them  to  the 
king,  by  not  attending  the  same  market,  that  the  other  mer- 
chants were  compelled  to  go  there  also.  Those  merchants 
of  the  realm  who  sold  the  king's  wool  formed,  then,  the 
nucleus  of  the  famous  English  Company  known  in  later  times 
as  the  Mayor,  Constables  and  Fellowship  of  the  Staple ;  and 
out  of  their  organization  grew  the  organization  of  the  Staple. 
It  is  obvious  from  the  charter  that  the  merchants  already 
had  some  slight  degree  of  organization.  The  whole  body  of 
"  merchants  of  the  realm"  constituted  a  comnnmitas ;  they 
were  evidently  in  the  habit  of  acting  together,  and  they  had 
a  major .^  We  know  that  the  charter  did  not  create  the  office 
of  mayor,  since  a  few  months  before  it  was  given,  a  "  mayor 
of  the  merchants  of  the  realm "  had  been  sent  on  a  diplo- 
matic errand  to  the  count  of  Flanders.^  The  charter  also 
mentions  a  council  of  these  same  merchants  ?  with  which  the 

»C.  C.  R.,  1313-1318,  p.  258;  1318-1323,  p.  no;  1327-1330,  p.  157;  1333- 
1337,  p.  60,  et al ;  C.  P.  R.,  1321-1324,  p.  198;    Rymer,  Foedera,  II,  i,  163. 

»C.  C.  R.,  1341-1343,  pp.  204,  227,  255-62. 

'  C.  P.  R.,  1272-1281,  pp.  T,2,o-/\oo,  passim  ;  I292-I30i,p.  366;  1307-1312, 
pp.  204,  412,  515,  ei  al.-,  C.  C.  R.,  1272-1296,  1307-1313, /««m. 

*C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  pp.  234-5;    1341-1343,^?.  227,  612. 

"The  Staple  was  to  be  ordained  and  assigned  "per  majorem  et  communitatem 
dictorum  mercatorum  de  regno  nostro."     Breve  Domini  regis.  Appendix,  p.  61. 

«C.  C.  R.,  1307-1313,  p.  568. 

'  Consilium  eorundem  mercatorum.      Breve  Domini  regis,  Appendix,  p.  61. 


14  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

mayor  was  to  act  in  cases  of  infringement  upon  the  rights 
granted.  There  is  no  indication  whether  the  council  was  a 
new  institution  or  whether  it  had  existed  before. 

It  was  these  special  "  merchants  of  the  realm  "  whom  the 
king  chose  to  sell  his  wool,  who  first  attended  the  Staple. 
The  center  about  which  they  were  organized  was  the  king; 
they  were  primarily  the  "  king's  merchants."  But  after  1 3 13 
the  other  wool  merchants  also  went  to  the  Staple.  The 
records  begin  to  speak  of  the  "  Merchants  of  the  Staple."  * 
The  Staple  became  the  center  about  which  they  were  organ- 
ized, and  with  this  change  there  came  gradually  a  change  in 
the  title  of  the  mayor  to  "  Mayor  of  the  Merchants  of  the 
Staple,"  or  simply  "  Mayor  of  the  Staple."^ 

In  1327  there  was  no  foreign  Staple,  but  there  was  a 
domestic  staple  in  each  of  sixteen  home  towns.  There 
was  one  mayor  for  them  all.  The  ordinance  which  was  issued 
to  regulate  the  business  of  the  staple  gives  no  indication  of 
any  further  development,  at  this  time,  in  its  internal  organi- 
zation.3 

The  next  ordinance  is  that  granted  in  1341,  when  the 
Staple  was  set  up  in  Bruges.  This  gives  the  impression  of  a 
much  greater  degree  of  organization.  There  were  by  this 
time  constables  associated  with  the  mayor;  the  election 
of  officers  was  regularly  provided  for,  and  special  provision 
made  for  the  administration  of  justice  for  all  merchants  who 
attended  the  Staple.  The  minute  directions  for  the  methods 
to  be  pursued  in  exporting  wool  show  that  the  object  for 
which  the  Staple  was  ordained  had  not  been  lost  sight  of.* 

A  statute  of  the  year  1353,  called  the  "  Statute  of  the 
Staple,"  5  is  the  most  important  document  that  is  known  deal- 

•C.  P.  R.,  1313-1317,  P-  IS;   C.  C.  R.,  1323-1327,  pp.  9,  564,  etal. 
»C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  p.  234;    1323-1327,  pp.  14,  378;  C.  p.  R.,  1313- 
1317,  p.  15;    1317-1321,  p.  477;    1324-1327,  pp.  13,  301. 

'C.  p.  R.,  1327-1330,  pp.  98-9.  *  Appendix,  pp.  62-5. 

55.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  1 5 

ing  with  the  organization  of  a  local  or  home  staple.     It  was 
given  when,  for  the  second  time,  there  were  home  staples, 
but  no  English  Staple  on  the  continent;  after  this  date  it  was 
always    put    in    force,   with   but    few  changes   or  additions,  ; 
whenever   there   was    a    similar    situation.      This    ordinance 
shows    that    in    each    town    where  there  was    a    staple,   the  ; 
merchants  who  attended  it  were  entirely  distinct  from  the  < 
townsmen.     They  dwelt  by  themselves  in  certain  streets  and 
houses  set  apart  for  them;'  they  elected  their  own  officers, 
who  governed  them  according  to  royal  ordinances,^  and  who 
judged  them  according  to  Law  Merchant, ^  not  according  to 
common  law.     A  certain  distinct  body  of  usages  had  grown 
up  about  the  staple  which  amounted  to  laws,  and  all   mer- 
chants swore  to  see  these  maintained;"*  offenders  against  the! 
laws  of  the  staple  were  confined  in   a  separate  prison,^  and 
no  officer  of  the  crown  could  take  cognizance  of  anything 
touching  the  staple.^     These  are  some  of  the  early  steps  in 
the   development  of    the    Company    of    the    Staple.     Later  \ 
records  show  that  the  Company  could  hold  property, ^  that  it  \ 
had  a  seal,^  and  that  it  was  granted  the  right  to  sue.'  ^ 

Without  doubt  the  merchants  became  a  chartered  Com- 
pany sometime  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III,  but  no  charter  of 
incorporation  has  been  found  of  earlier  date  than  that  granted 
the  Company  by  Queen  Elizabeth  in  1561.'°  The  merchants 
themselves,  however,  claimed  that  they  had  been  incorporated 
by  Edward  III."  In  1347  the  Staple  was  removed  to  Calais, 
when  the  title  of  the   Company  became  the  "  Mayor,  Con- 

'  S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  16.  » Ii>iJ.,  c.  21.  »  /6id.,  c.  8. 

^ Ibid.,  c.  23.  ''Ibid.,  c.  21.  * Ibia.,  cc.  5  and  6. 

'In  1513  the  Mayor,  Constables  and  Merchants  of  the  Staple  of  Calais  were 
granted  a  license  to  acquire  lands  to  the  yearly  value  of  ^{^300;  C.  S.  P.,  Let.  and 
Pap.,  For.  and  Dom. ,  1509-1514,  Henry  VIII,  vol.  i,  p.  653,  no.  4381. 

"S.  R.,  43  Edw.  Ill,  c.  i.  The  local  staple  in  the  city  of  York  had  a  seal  as 
early  as  1327.     C.  C.  R.,  1327-1330,  p.  134. 

»  S.  R.,  27  H.  VI,  c.  2.  lo  Appendix,  pp.  66-74. 

"C.  S.  P.,  Dom.,  1651-1652,  p.  472,  nos.  42  and  43. 


1 6  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

Stables  and  Fellowship  of  the  Staple  of  Calais."  '  A  charter 
of  liberties  was  granted  the  Company  by  Richard  II  and  con- 
firmed by  Henry  IV,  Henry  VI,'  Henry  VHP  and  Edward 
VI. ■♦  As  all  the  charters  and  patents  of  the  Company  were  lost 
when  Calais  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  French,  a  new  grant  was 
sought  from  Elizabeth.  This  was  given  in  1561,5  under  the 
title  of  the  "  Mayor,  Constables  and  Society  of  the  Merchants 
of  the  Staple  of  England."  This  charter  was  confirmed  by 
James  I,  in  1617.^  A  new  charter  of  incorporation  was  given 
to  the  Company  by  Charles  II  in  1669,7  and  it  still  exists 
under  it.  The  Company  was,  in  1887,  an  association  of 
about  thirty  members ;  it  maintained  nominally  some  of  its 
officers,  and  owned  stock  to  the  value  of  about  4250;^,  from 
which  annual  dividends  were  paid.  But  the  reason  for  its 
I  existence  had  been  lost  long  ago.  It  was  no  longer  a  mer- 
/  cantile  association ;  its  character  had  changed  to  that  of  a 
■       club,  meeting  occasionally  for  social  purposes. 

We  have  no  knowledge  of  the  qualifications  for  admission 
into  the  Company.^  There  was  probably  an  entrance  fee, 
but  no  mention  is  made  of  it  until  late  in  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, when  it  was  lOO  marks.'     Very  little  is  also  known  of 

'C.  S.  P.,  Dom.,  1651-1652,  p.  472,  nos.  42  and  43. 

*  Schanz,  vol.  ii,  no.  116,  p.  539  ff. 

*  Ibid.;  also  no.  135,  p.  589  ff.  *■  Ibid. 
'Appendix,  p.  67.                                      'Appendix,  pp.  74-78. 

^  Mayor,  Constables  and  Company  of  the  Aler chants  of  the  Staple  of  England 
vs.  The  Governor  and  Company  of  the  Bank  of  England.  21  Queen'' s  Bench 
Division,  160  (Nov.  8,  1887). 

*No  man  could  become  a  merchant  of  the  local  staple  of  Waterford,  Ireland, 
unless  he  was  a  freeman  of  the  city,  or  an  Englishman,  or  else  "  had  his  liberte  of 
the  kynge."  The  mayor  and  constables  of  the  staple  of  Waterford  could  not  re- 
ceive anyone  into  the  freedom  of  the  staple  without  the  advice  of  the  merchants  of 
the  staple  present,  and  especially  of  ten  or  twelve  of  the  council.  Hist.  MSS. 
Com.,  loth  Report,  App.  v,  p.  306.  Acts  and  Statutes  of  the  City  of  Waterford 
(1469). 

* H.  O.  Star  Chamber  Proceedings,  Henry  VHI,  vol.  ix,  p.  23.  Printed  by 
Schanz,  vol.  ii,  no.   125,  p.  558.     In   the  seventeenth  century  there  was  some 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  I7 

the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  Staplers ;  but  freedom  to 
cross  the  sea  at  will  was  evidently  a  legal  right  possessed 
by  them  from  early  times.'  In  1327  the  king  forbade 
English  merchants  to  leave  the  kingdom  unless  they  be- 
longed to  a  staple;-  and  in  the  fifteenth  century,  when  there 
was  war  between  England  and  France,  merchants  going  to  or 
coming  from  the  Staple  at  Calais  were  exempt  from  seizure,^ 
The  Staple  was  not  by  any  means  purely  a  royal  expedi-  ' 
ent,  although  it  was  so  in  a  great  measure.  But  it  was  the 
merchants  who,  in  13 13,  asked  to  have  a  single  Staple  on  the 
continent  established  for  English  products.*  There  were,  it 
is  true,  complaints  against  it  at  various  times.  Twice  the 
king  abolished  all  local  home  staples,  once  in  1328,^  and 
once  in  1334;*^  but  they  were  soon  in  operation  again,  and  ap- 
parently with  little  or  no  protest  from  the  merchants.  But  a 
reason  for  maintaining  the  continental  Staple,  even  when  the 
foreign  merchants  complained  that  it  was  contrary  to  their 
right  to  freedom  of  trade,^  was  because  it  could  be  made  in 
various  ways  to  serve  the  ends  of  government. 
1  It  was  to  a  large  extent  a  political  agent.  In  1285  Edward 
I  transferred  the  Staple  of  English  merchandise  from  Bruges, 
in  Flanders,  to  Dordrecht,  in  Holland,  because  of  hostility 
shown  by  Marguerite  and  Guy  of  Flanders,  although  he  ad- 
mitted that  "  ni  les  portez,  ni   les  arrivages   de   Holland,  ne 

complaint  about  the  excessive  fee  of  admission.  In  1616  the  Chancellor,  Sir 
Francis  Bacon,  warned  the  towns  in  Ireland  which  were  being  erected  into  staple 
towns,  not  to  make  it  too  high.  C.  S.  P.,  Carew,  1603-1624,  p.  329.  In  1619 
the  mayor  of  Lincoln  complained  to  the  council  that  the  rate  of  admission  into 
the  Company  was  so  high  that  none  in  Lincoln  could  become  freemen  of  it,  and 
asked  that  the  wool  staplers  reduce  the  fee.     C.  S.  F.,  Uom.,  1619-1623,  p.  35. 

'C.  S.  P.,  Dom.,  1566-1579,  Addenda,  p.  434,  no.  109.  "  Further,  the  very 
laws  of  England,  by  an  especial  proviso  in  that  old  servile  statute,  gave  .  .  . 
liberty  to  pass  and  repass  the  seas  at  pleasure,  being  free  of  the  staple."  Ibid., 
p.  494,  no.  49. 

»  Rymer,  Foedera,  R.  ed.,  II,  ii,  705.  '  Ibid.,  IV,  ii,  19. 

*C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  pp.  234-5.         ^S.  R.,  2  Edw.  Ill,  c.  9. 

*Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p.  377b.         '  C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  p.  234. 


lO  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

sont  mie  si  bons,  ni  si  connus  des  mariners  come  ceux  de 
Flandres."  '  Ten  years  later,  seeking  an  alliance  with  the 
count  of  Flanders,  he  withdrew  the  Staple  from  Dordrecht 
and  placed  it  at  Bruges  again.'  At  another  time  one  of  the 
things  granted  to  the  count  in  a  temporary  peace  was  that 
the  Staple  of  wool  at  St.  Omer,  in  Artois,  should  be  sus- 
pended while  the  truce  was  in  force  ;3  but  as  the  time  drew 
near  for  the  truce  to  expire,  its  extension  was  purchased  by 
the  still  greater  concession  of  a  Staple  set  up  within  the  very 
territory  of  the  count,  at  the  city  of  Bruges.*  In  1338,  when 
Edward  III  was  trying  to  detach  Louis  de  Nevers  from  his 
French  alliance,  he  gave  power  to  his  ambassador,  the  count 
of  Guelders,  to  propose  to  Louis  the  re-establishment  of  the 
Staple  of  English  wool  in  Flanders  ;5  and  two  years  later, 
when  the  communes  had  yielded  him  their  allegiance,  he  gave 
notice  "  that  in  consideration  of  the  aid  rendered  and  prom- 
ised to  him  in  the  towns  of  Ghent,  Bruges  and  Ypres,  and 
the  communes  of  Flanders,  the  king,  with  the  assent  of  his 
parliament  at  Westminster,  promises  that  he  will  establish  a 
wool-staple  at  Bruges.  .  .  .  "  ^ 

But  the  Staple  was  primarily  a  financial  agent.  It  furnished 
the  machinery  for  supervising  the  export  of  wool,  and  thus 
was  a  check  upon  the  frauds  of  the  custom  officers  ;7  it  also, 
for  much  of  the  time  while  it  was  located  in  Calais,  was 
directly  responsible  for  the  collection  and  disbursement  of 
all  the  customs  on  staple  merchandise.  This  came  about  in 
the  following  way.  At  about  the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth 
century  the  government  began  to  borrow  from  the  Company 
of  the  Staple,  which  was  then  located  in  Calais,  certain  sums 

'  Rymer,  Foedera,  I,  iii,  i8i. 

'  Melis  Stoke,  iv,  434;   see  Davies,  vol.  i,  p.  117. 

»C.  C.  R.,  1323-1327,  p.  9. 

^-Ibid.,  p.  378;   C.  P.  R.,  1324-1327,  p.  134. 

''Rymer,  Foedera^  II,  iv,  37;   C.  P.  R.,  1338-1340,  p.  193. 

^  /bid.,  pp,  511,  512-3.  ''Chapter  iii,  pp.  37-8. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  I9 

of  money  to  pay  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  garrison  in 
that  town.'  Sometimes  their  wages  were  so  much  in  arrears 
that  the  soldiers  siezed  the  wool  in  the  Staple,  and  held  it 
until  the  merchants  redeemed  it  by  advancing  the  money  for 
their  pay.^  This  was  so  disastrous  to  the  wool  trade  that  in 
472  the  Mayor  and  Company  of  the  Staple  entered  into  am 
agreement  with  the  king  by  which  the  soldiers  should  be 
paid  directly  by  the  Company.3  A  grant  was  made  to  the 
Staplers  for  sixteen  years,  of  all  the  customs  and  subsidies  on 
the  wools  and  fells  shipped  from  England  to  Calais  ;■♦  the 
Company  then  became  responsible  for  the  wages  of  the 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  garrison,  for  the  fees  of  certain 
royal  officers, 5  and  for  the  expenses  of  the  convoy  of  the 
wool  fleet.  This  grant  was  renewed  in  1487^  for  another 
term  of  sixteen  years,  and  again  in  1503.^  In  15  16,  however, 
the  grant  then  running  was  canceled  and  a  new  one  made  for 
a  term  of  twenty  years.^  But  the  wool  trade  was  already  de- 
clining in  the  sixteenth  century;   the  company  was  not  able 

^Rymer,  Foedera,  IV,  i,  Il6;  Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol.  iii,  p.  67;  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  v, 
dp.  297,  550,  629. 

'Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol.  iii,  pp.  67-8,  vol.  v,  p.  203.  In  1456  the  soldiers  being 
owed  great  sums  by  the  king,  they  took  from  the  Mayor  and  Merchants  of  the 
Staple  at  Calais  26,050  marks  of  the  money  coming  from  the  sale  of  wool  and 
wool-fells.  The  king  ordered  certain  merchants  who  owed  him  for  customs  to  re- 
pay the  Mayor  and  Merchants.     Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  v,  p.  297b. 

'  The  following  is  an  account  given  by  the  Staplers  of  the  manner  in  which  this 
came  about.  At  one  time  during  the  wars  between  Henry  VI  and  Edward  IV, 
the  soldiers  at  Calais  had  not  been  paid  for  three  years.  They  thereupon  seized 
the  Staplers  and  shut  them  up  in  a  house  until  they  promised  to  pay  them  the 
arrears  in  their  wages.  Br.  Mus.,  Cotton,  MSS.,  Tiberius,  D.  VIII,  fo.  16. 
Printed  by  Schanz,  vol.  ii,  no.  129,  p.  566. 

*Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  vi,  p.  55  ff. 

*  These  officers  were:  The  Customer  and  Controller  of  the  great  custom  in  the 
port  of  London,  and  the  king's  Judges,  Sergeants  and  Attorney.  Rot.  Pari.,  vol. 
vi,  p.  55  ff. 

*Rot.  Pari,  vol.  vi,  p.  395  ff. 

'  S.  R.,  19  II.  VII,  c.  27;    Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  vi,  p.  523  ff. 

*S.  R.,  7  H.  VIII,  c.  10. 


20  THE    STAI-LE    OF    ENGLAND 

to  observe  the  terms  of  the  grant,  and  in  1535,  being  heavily 
in  debt,'  they  were  released  from  the  contract  and  a  new 
license  to  export  granted  them  for  a  term  of  five  years,  under 
easier  conditions.  Instead  of  paying  a  certain  yearly  sum 
for  the  privilege  of  exporting  wool,  they  now  were  permitted  to 
pay  the  customs  on  the  actual  number  of  sacks  shipped ;  but 
they  were  to  continue  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  garrison  at 
Calais,  and  to  fulfil  their  other  obligations.''  This  license  was 
renewed  in  1541,^  and  again  in  1542,'*  for  one  year.  In 
15535  a  license  was  granted  for  two  years,  when  it  was  re- 
newed for  fifteen  years,*'  under  the  same  conditions  of  paying 
the  garrison. 

But  to  pay  the  soldiers  at  Calais  was  not  the  only  use  to 
which  the  Staple  was  put;  it  was  also  a  convenient  source 
from  which  the  king  could  obtain  money  without  asking 
parliament  for  it.^     While  the  Staple  was  located  at  Calais  it 

'The  king  agreed  to  cancel  their  debt  of  ;^I3,033  and  arrears  of  ;^I388  5^. 
2}/^d.  in  exchange  for  _i^io,ooo,  and  all  their  lands  and  houses  in  Calais  and  the 
Marches  and  the  County  of  Guisnes,  except  Staple  Hall  and  their  prison  house; 
their  lands  were  considered  to  be  worth  ^^40  sterling  a  year.  C.  S.  P.,  Let.  & 
Pap.,  For.  &  Dom.,  1535,  Henry  VHI,  vol.  ix,  p.  240. 

« Ibid. 

'  Ibid.,  1540-41,  vol.  xvi,  p.  217;   Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol.  vii,  p.  109. 

*C.  S.  P.,  Let.  &  Pap.,  For.  &  Dom.,  1542,  H.  VHI,  vol.  xvii,  pp.  20,  55. 

^  Acts  of  the  Privy  Council,  1552-1554,  p.  83. 

'Rymer,  Foedera,  VI,  iv,  34. 

'In  1342  Edward  III  ordered  the  Mayor  of  the  Staple  at  Bruges  to  pay ^800 
to  redeem  Queen  Philippa's  crown.     Rymer,  Foedera  II,  iv,  135. 

The  following  is  a  partial  list  of  the  sums  borrowed  from  the  Company  of  the 
Staple : 

i343,''_^50,ooo  per  year  for  three  years,  C.  P.  R.,  1345-1348,  p.  19;  1346, 
40,coo  m.  per  year  for  two  years,  C.  P.  R.,  1345-1348,  pp.  133,  277,  569; 
1407,  ^'4,000,  Rymer,  Foedera,  IV,  i,  Ii6;  1423,  ^^4,000,  Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol.  iii, 
p,  67;  1 44 1,  ;^ 1 0,000,  ibid.,  vol.  V,  p.  164;  1455,  ;i^2,530  15^.  M.,  Rot.  Pari., 
vol.  V,  p.  297;  i46i,;!(^i,ooo,  C.  P.  R.,  1461-1467,  p.  54;  1463,  ;^6,926  75.  4</., 
ibid.,  p.  271;  1464,  £ii,Z(}\,  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  v,  p.  550b;  1464,  ;i^i,ooo,  C.  P. 
R.,  1461-1467,  p.  378;  1465,  ;if  11,728  19^.2!^^/.,  ?"i52V/.,p.  438;  1467,  ;^io, 000, 
Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  v,  p.  629a;  1471,  ;^20,276  8^.,  C.  P.  R.,  1467-1477,  p.  270; 
1525.  ;^6,500,  C.  S.   P.,  For.  &  Dom.,  1529-1530,  H.  VIII,  p.  3090;    1529, 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  21 

contributed  largely,  in  this  way,  toward  keeping  the  defenses 
of  the  city  in  repair,'  and  it  also  furnished  the  means  for 
carrying  on  minor  military  operations  on  the  continent.' 
The  money  thus  obtained  was,  however,  in  the  nature  of 
loans,  and  was  generally  repaid  from  the  customs  and  sub- 
sidies on  wool.3 

Another  very  important  use  made  of  the  Staple  was  to 
regulate  the  circulation  of  coin  in  England.-*  The  monetary 
condition  of  the  country  was  in  great  confusion  during  the 

;^i,ooo,  C.  S.  p.,  Let.  &  Pap.,  For.  &  Dom.,  1531-1532,  H.  VIII,  p.  316;  1555, 
;^i2,ooo,  C.  S.  P.,  For.,  1553-1558,  p.  193.  After  1472  the  Company  was  pay- 
ing annually  ;^I0, 022  4^.  8^/.  for  the  garrison  at  Calais;  ;[^I00  for  the  salaries  of 
the  controller  and  custom  officer  at  London;  ;i{^i,ooo  for  the  salaries  of  the  king's 
judges,  sergeants  and  attorney,  and  also  the  expenses  of  the  convoy  of  the  wool 
fleet.  Whatever  surplus  there  remained  from  the  customs  after  these  expenses 
were  paid,  was  handed  over  to  the  king.  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  vi,  pp.  55  ff,  395  ff; 
S.  R.,  19  H.  VII,  c.  27;  7  H.  VIII,  St.  i,  c.  10.  In  1482  this  surplus  amounted 
to  ;^8,ooo.     Cely  Papers,  pp.  98,  113. 

'  The  Treasurer  of  Calais  promised  to  try  to  borrow  money  from  the  merchants 
of  the  Staple  towards  repairing  the  walls  and  towers  of  Calais.  Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol. 
V,  p.  400  (1439).  The  Staple  furnished  money  for  the  repairs  of  Calais  and  for 
buying  ordinance.  C.  S.  P.,  Let.  &  Pap.,  For.  &  Dom.,  1509-1514,  11.  VIII, 
p.  516,  no.  3832;  for  paying  the  workmen  for  flooding  the  marches  at  Calais,  and 
^500  toward  the  works;  i&id.,  1540,  p.  355;  4^.  on  every  sack  of  wool  and  ICO 
fells  toward  countermuring  the  town;  idu/.,  p.  340;  ;i{^2,ooo  for  the  repairs  of 
Calais;  Brit.  Mus.,  Cotton.  MSS.,  Faustina,  E.,  \ai,  fo,  41.  Printed  by  Schanz, 
vol.  ii,  no.  128,  p.  564.  One  of  the  frequent  complaints  in  parliament  was  that 
licenses  granted  to  export  wool  elsewhere  than  to  the  Staple  were  the  cause  of 
such  a  falling  off  in  the  customs  that  the  soldiers  were  not  paid,  the  castle  and 
walls  were  not  repaired,  the  town  was  not  maintained,  and  the  city  was  destroyed. 
S.  R.,  14  H.  VI,  c.  2;  20  H.  VI,  c.  12;  27  H.  VI,  c.  2;  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p. 
323a. 

*The  Staple  loaned,  in  1430,  3,500  m.  to  pay  archers  sent  to  the  aid  of  Paris; 
Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol.  iv,  p.  52;  in  1433,  2,000  m.  for  the  siege  of  St.  Wallery;  MJ., 
p.  178;  in  1442,  ;^50o  to  pay  the  soldiers  of  Guisnes;  ifiiJ.,  vol.  v,  p.  200. 
When  the  captains  of  Calais  made  an  expedition,  the  Mayor  of  the  Staple  kept 
watch  in  the  town  with  one  hundred  billmen  and  two  hundred  archers  of  the  mer- 
chants and  their  servants,  taking  no  wages  from  the  king.  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p. 
3S8b. 

*See  references  p.  20,  note  7;   above,  notes  i  and  2. 

*  This  subject  is  fully  treated  by  Ochenkowski,  Englands  ■wirischaftliche  Ent- 
■wickelwig,  pp .   1 87-2 1 7 . 


22  THE   STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

middle  ages.  One  of  the  evils  was  the  steady  outflow  of  the 
national  coin,  while  in  its  place  there  circulated  many  different 
kinds  of  foreign  coin,  brought  in  by  the  merchants.  As  long 
as  the  merchants  evaded  the  ordinance  of  1 3 1 3  and  took 
their  wool  to  any  foreign  market  they  chose,  there  was  no 
way  to  prevent  them  from  bringing  back  much  of  this  foreign 
coin.  An  expedient  was  tried  which  finally,  through  the 
Staple,  brought  some  measure  of  success. 

Every  merchant  exporting  wool  was  obliged  to  give  secur- 
ity that  he  would  bring  back  within  three  months,  for  each 
sack  of  wool  exported,  a  plate  of  silver  worth  two  marks.'  The 
merchant  took  the  plate  to  the  exchange  in  the  Tower  of 
London  and  redeemed  his  two  marks  of  security.''  But  this 
regulation  d'id  not  stop  the  evil.  Specie  still  flowed  out  of 
the  country,  while  the  merchants  brought  back  only  a  small 
part  of  the  proceeds  of  their  sales  in  the  form  of  bullion; 
most  of  it  came  back  in  foreign  coin.  In  1423  the  govern- 
ment prohibited  any  specie  being  taken  out  of  the  realm, 
except  to  pay  the  soldiers  at  Calais,  or  for  ransoms.3  The 
laws  which  obliged  all  exporters  of  staple  merchandise  to 
take  their  goods  to  the  Staple  at  Calais  were  then  enforced 
with  increased  penalties.'*  It  was  also  decreed  that  for  all 
the  goods  sold  in  the  Staple,  payment  should  be  made  in 
gold  or  silver  bullion,  which  was  to  be  taken  to  the  mint  in 
Calais,  and  a  certain  proportion  of  it  changed  into  English 
coin.5  The  merchants  were  also  prohibited  from  making  a 
loan  to  any  purchaser  of  staple  merchandise  in  Calais,  of  any 
part  of  the  money  received  by  them  for  their  goods,  but 
were   obliged  to  take   it  all   back  into  the  realm  "  without 

'  In  1391  Parliament  required,  instead  of  a  plate  of  silver,  an  ounce  of  gold 
bullion;  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  iii,  p.  28sa;  and  in  1399  an  ounce  of  gold  of  foreign 
coin.     Ibid.,  pp.  340a,  429a. 

'S.  R.,  14  Edw.  Ill,  St.  I,  c.  21;   C.  C.  R.,  1341-1343,  pp.  223,  314. 

»S.  R.,  2  H.  VI,  c.  6.  'Ibid.,  8  H.  VI,  c.  17. 

^  £(i  out  of  every  12  marks,  ;^5  out  of  every  10  marks,  and  £,s,  out  of  every  8 
marks,  were  to  be  thus  converted.     Ibid.,  8  H.  VI,  c.  8. 


THE   STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND  23 

subtelty  or  fraud."'  By  a  statute  of  1442,  one-third  of  the 
bulHon  was  to  be  converted  into  coin  of  the  realm  at  the 
mint  at  Calais,  and  taken  back  into  England.""  This  require- 
ment was  a  burden  on  the  merchants,  and  they  petitioned  to 
be  released  from  it  ;3  but  they  were  relieved  only  for  a  time  *  as 
in  1463  parliament  ordained  that  the  wool  should  be  paid  for 
one-half  in  English  money  and  one-half  in  plate  or  bullion. 
The  coin  was  to  be  taken  at  once  into  England,  and  the  plate 
or  bullion  coined  at  the  mint  in  Calais  and  taken  into  England 
within  three  months.^  "About  a  century  later,  in  a  petition  of 
the  Staplers  for  a  new  license  to  export,  one  of  the  articles 
was,  that  they  should  not  be  compelled  to  bring  in  any 
bullion.^ 

The  state  of  the  mint  at  Calais  affected  the  circulation  of 
specie  in  England,  and  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  mint  depended 
on  the  amount  of  trade  at  the  Staple.  The  statutes  contain 
many  complaints  that  the  mint  at  Calais  was  "  desolate  and 
destroyed  "  because  merchants  were  not  taking  their  goods  to 
the   Staple. 7     In  this  relation   between   the   Staple  and   the 

'  S.  R.,  8  II.  VI,  c.  18. 

"^  Ibid.,  20  H.  VI,  c.  12.  ^  Ibid.,  pp.  216-7. 

♦Pro.  &Ord.,  vol.  v,  pp.  215-6.  *S.  R.,  3  Edw.  IV,  c.  I. 

«C.  S.  P.,  Let.  &  Pap.,  For.  &  Dom.,  1539,  H.  VIII,  vol.  xiv,  pt.  ii,  p.  357, 
no.  819.  A  petition  of  the  commons  in  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  iv,  pp.  125  ff,  shows 
another  plan  which  was  once  proposed  for  accomplishing  this  object,  of  providing 
the  realm  with  English  coin.  All  foreign  merchants  trading  at  Calais  were  to  be 
obliged  to  change  their  money  at  the  mint  for  English  coin.  Out  of  this  they 
were  to  pay  for  the  merchandise  bought  at  the  Staple,  and  the  English  merchant 
would  thus  be  provided  with  coin  of  the  realm  instead  of  foreign  coin.  Before 
leaving  Calais  for  home  each  English  merchant  was  to  have  his  money  placed  in 
a  purse  and  sealed  by  the  Treasurer  of  Calais,  and  an  indenture  of  the  sum  made 
out,  one  part  of  which  was  to  be  retained  by  the  Treasurer.  The  other  part  was 
to  be  taken  by  the  merchant  to  the  mayor  of  London,  who  should  then  compare 
the  sum  in  the  purse  with  that  named  in  the  indenture.  If  the  amounts  agreed  the 
merchant  was  to  be  allowed  to  depart.  Once  a  year  the  Treasurer  at  Calais  was 
to  turn  in  to  the  Exchequer  all  the  indentures  retained  by  him,  which  were  to  be 
compared  with  those  turned  in  by  the  mayor  of  London.  This  plan  evidently 
never  went  into  operation. 

'S.  R.,  21  R.  II,  c.  17;   8  H.  VI,  c.  17;    10  H.  VI,  c.  7. 


24  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

inflow  of  specie  into  England  may  be  found  one  of  the  ex- 
planations of  the  exceedingly  heavy  penalties  inflicted  for 
taking  staple  merchandise  elsewhere  than  to  the  Staple  at 
Calais ;'  and  also  the  chief  reason  why  the  Staple  remained  at 
Calais  uninterruptedly  from  1399  until  the  town  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  French. 

*  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  iv,  pp.  251b,  359a;  vol.  v,  p.  54a;  vol.  vi,  p.  164a;  S.  R., 
8  H.  VI,  c.  19;  14  H.  VI,  c.  s;  18  H.  VI,  c.  15;  4  Edw.  IV,  c.  2. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  OFFICERS  OF  THE  STAPLE. 

The  chief  officers  of  the  Staple  were  a  Mayor  and   two 
Constables.     The  Staplers  claimed  that  there  were  officers  of 
the   staple   as  early   as  1267,'   but  there   is  no   proof  of  it. 
We  do  know,  however,  that  there  was  a  Mayor  in  the  year 
1313,^  and  that  this  was  the  only  officer  of  the  Staple  ^  men- 
tioned until  1 341.     In  1326,  when  the  Staple  was  abolished  ^ 
in  Flanders  and  set  up  in  sixteen  different  places  in  England, 
Ireland  and  Wales,  there  was  still  but  one  mayor  for  all  the  \ 
local  home  staples.*     But  by  the  charter  of   1341,  when  the  ' 
Staple   was    once    more    established    at    Bruges,  Constables 
were  appointed  to  act  with  the  Mayor  ;s  and  in    1353,  when 
the  foreign  Staple  was  again  abolished  and  the  domestic  sta- 
ples set  up,  a  Mayor  and  two  Constables  were  appointed  for 
every  place  where  there  was  a  staple.^ 

Several  minor  officers  were  attached  to  the  Staple  from 
time  to  time  as  its  organization  developed.  In  1353  a  num- 
ber of  "  Correctors  "  were  ordained  in  every  place  where  a 
local  staple  was  held,  whose  business  it  was  to  record  the  bar- 
gains made  between  buyers  and  sellers;  but  no  merchant 
need  employ  a  Corrector  unless  of  his  own  free  will.     To 

'Chapter  i,  p.  15. 

'C.  C.  R.,  1307-1313,  p.  568;   C.  P.  R.,  1307-1313,  p.  591;   Breve  Domini 
regis,  Appendix,  pp.  61-2. 
'C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  pp.  no,  186,  187;    1323-1327,  pp.  14,  378;  C.  P.  R., 

1313-1317.  PP-  15.  56;    1317-1321,  PP- 239,477.  489;    1324-1327.  PP- 13.  '34- 
Ordinance  of  the  Staple,  Appendix,  pp.  59-61. 

*C.  C.  R.,  1323-1327,  p.  564.  ^  Rymer,  Foedera,  H,  iv,  109;  see  Appen- 

ds. R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  ch.  21.  [dix,  p.  63. 

25 


26  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

insure  impartiality,  part  of  the  Correctors  were  denizens  and 
part  foreigners.  They  were  not  salaried  officers,  but  were 
paid  by  the  merchants  who  employed  them,  and  were  for- 
bidden to  engage  in  trade  while  they  held  office.  They 
gave  security  before  the  Mayor  and  Constables  to  perform 
their  duties  lawfully.'  The  conduct  of  the  business  in  the 
staples  required  in  each  place  a  certain  number  of  such 
laborers  as  workers  in  wool,  winders,  packers  and  porters." 
There  were  certain  other  officers  who  do  not  appear  until 
much  later,  in  connection  with  the  Staple  of  Calais;  they  are 
the  "  Lieutenant,"  "  Broucours,"  "  Weyers,"  "  Potters," 
*' Tresourers,"  "Clerkys,"3  "  Collector," '^  "  Master,"  5  and 
"  Marshal."  ^  The  Lieutenant  supplied  the  place  of  the 
Mayor,  who  was  much  of  the  time  in  England.^  No  mer- 
chant could  hold  the  office  of  Mayor,  Constable,  Lieutenant, 
Treasurer  or  Collector  of  the  Staple  of  Calais  who  was  a  res- 
ident of  Calais  or  of  any  place  outside  of  the  realm.^  The 
Mayor  and  Constables,  both  of  the  foreign  and  of  the  home 
staples,  took  their  oath  of  office  in  Chancery  ;  all  other  officers 
and  servants  of  the  Staple  were  sworn  before  the  Mayor.9 

We  do  not  know  whether  the  early  Mayor  of  the  Staple 
was  an  elected  or  an  appointed  officer;  but  in  1326,  when 
the  Staple  on  the  continent  was  abolished  and  there  were 
only  the  home  staples,  his  election  was  given  to  an  assembly 
of  merchants.  Writs  were  sent  out  to  the  mayors,  bailiffs, 
citizens  and  burgesses  of  those  cities  and  tow^ns  where  the 
staples  were  to  be  held,  ordering  them  to  choose  from  each 
place  tu'o  of  the  richest  dealers  in  wool,  wool-fells  and 
leather,  who  were  to  go  to  London  and  there  elect  a  mer- 

'  S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  22.  ^  Ibid.,  c.  23. 

'C.  P.  R.,  1461-1467,  pp.  275-6.  ♦Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  iv,  p.  59. 

.    *C.  S.  P.,  For.  and  Dom.,  1531-1532,  H.  VIII,  vol.  v,  p.  381,  no.  805. 

*  Ibid.,  1517-1518,  H.  VIII,  vol.  ii,  pt.  i,  p.  1448.  The  wages  of  the  Marshal 
were  505.  a  quarter. 

'Appendix,  p.  65.  'Rot.  Pari.,  vi,  p.  59b. 

»S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  23. 


THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND  27 

chant  to  act  as  Mayor  of  the  staples.'  The  power  to  elect 
was  gradually  extended.  The  first  Mayor  and  Constables 
under  the  charter  of  1341  were  appointed  by  the  king,  for 
life ;  but  the  merchants  of  the  realm  were  given  from  that 
time  full  power  to  remove  them  for  suitable  cause,  and  when 
they  died,  to  fill  all  vacancies.'  When  in  1353  a  Mayor  and 
two  Constables  were  ordained  for  each  staple  place,  the  king 
again  had  the  appointment  of  the  first  incumbents ;  but  the 
election  of  the  Mayor  was  then  made  annual,  and  was  given 
to  the  communalty  of  the  merchants,  both  denizen  and  alien.3 
He  was  eligible  to  re-election.  Somewhat  later  the  Consta- 
bles also  became  annual  officers.'' 

The  salaries  of  the  Mayors  and  Constables  were  fixed  by 
ordinance  in  1354.  While  there  had  been  one  Staple,  and 
that  in  a  foreign  country,  there  had  been  but  one  Mayor,  and  ' 
he  had  received  a  certain  sum  a  year.s  But  when,  in  1 3  5  3 ,  thi  s 
Staple  was  abolished,  and  a  Mayor  and  two  Constables  were 
appointed  in  each  of  the  domestic  staples,  8d.  per  sack  was 
assessed  on  all  wool  exported,  and  the  receipts  in  each  staple 
given  to  the  officers  in  that  place.     This  plan  did  not  prove 

>C.  C.  R.,  1323-1327,  p.  564.  'Appendix,  p.  63. 

'  S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  21.  In  1429  parliament  ordained  that  the  then 
acting  Mayor  of  the  Staple  at  Calais  should  continue  in  office  for  two  j'ears,  "  for 
certain  great  and  notable  causes  concerning  the  Honour  of  our  Soverign  Lord  the 
King  and  the  common  weal  of  all  his  Realm."  S.  R.,  8  H.  VI,  c.  25.  The  Mayor 
and  Constables  of  the  local  staple  of  Southampton  were  elected  by  the  burgesses, 
not  by  the  merchants  of  the  staple.  See  chapter  i,  p.  9,  note.  In  some  cases  the 
Mayor  of  the  town  in  which  a  local  staple  was  situated  was  also  Mayor  of  the 
staple.  This  was  so  in  Bristol.  Wm.  Hunt,  Bristol,  p.  77  (Historic  Towns 
Series).  In  Waterford,  Ireland,  not  only  was  the  Mayor  of  the  town  the  Mayor 
of  the  staple,  but  the  Sheriffs  of  the  town  were  the  Constables,  and  the  Gaoler  of 
the  town  was  the  Marshal  of  the  staple.  Hist.  MSS.  Com.,  lolh  Report,  App.  v, 
pp.  282,  284.     Municipal  Archives  of  Waterford. 

*  Co7tfir>nation  by  Henry  VI  of  Charier  of  Richard  II ;  printed  by  Schanz, 
vol.  ii,  no.  116,  p.  539  ff. 

^The  Mayor  of  the  Staple  also  received,  in  addition  to  his  salary,  one-third  and 
sometimes  one-half  the  forfeiture  paid  by  those  merchants  who  were  found  guilty 
of  evading  the  ordinances  and  shipping  wool  elsewhere  than  to  the  Staple.  Ap- 
pendix, p.  64;  S.  R.,  8  H.  VI,  c.  19. 


28  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

satisfactory,  as  some  got  too  much  and  some  not  enough. 
It  was  therefore  ordained  that  a  tax  of  4d.  per  sack  should 
be  levied  in  each  place  on  all  the  wool  exported.  If  at  the 
end  of  the  year  the  tax  at  one  place  amounted  to  more  than 
enough  to  pay  the  salaries  of  the  officers  there,  the  surplus 
was  used  to  pay  the  salaries  in  some  place  where  the  tax  was 
not  sufficient.  If  anything  then  remained  it  went  to  the 
common  profit  of  the  Company  to  buy  new  weights,  etc. 

The  salaries  at  the  different  home  staples  varied  consider- 
ably; for  instance,  the  Mayor  of  Westminster  received  lOO^ 
per  year,  and  the  Constables  lo  marks  each;  the  Mayors  of 
York,  Kingston-on-Hull,  Norwich  and  Winchester  2o£,  and 
the  Constables  lOOs.  each;  the  Mayors  of  New  Castle-on- 
Tyne,  Chichester  and  Exeter  \o£,  and  the  Constables  5 
marks  each.  If  a  Mayor  or  Constable,  after  having  been 
elected,  refused  to  serve,  he  forfeited  to  the  Company  a  sum 
equal  to  his  salary.' 

The  duties  of  the  Mayor  and  Constables  were  both  execu- 
tive and  judicial.  As  to  the  first  they  had  a  general  over- 
sight of  all  the  business  transacted  in  the  Staple  and  saw  to 
it  that  all  the  ordinances  of  the  Staple  were  enforced.  When 
the  Staple  was  located  across  the  channel,  it  was  their  duty 
to  see  that  no  wool  was  brought  into  the  Staple  which  had 
not  been  sealed  with  the  king's  seal  "  cocket"  and  paid  duty 
at  the  place  of  export.  For  this  purpose  they  had  to  be 
present  at  the  port  of  entry,  and  inspect  every  cargo  before 
it  could  be  unloaded ;  they  must  view  the  weighing  of  the 
wool,  and  receive  and  forward  to  the  Exchequer  the  part  of 
the  indenture  brought  by  the  ship  master  from  the  custom 
officer.*  It  was  also  their  duty  to  inquire  for  all  merchants 
who  took  their  cocketed  wool  elsewhere  than  to  the  Staple, 
and  if  they  were  found  within  the  bounds  of  the  Staple,  to 

*  S.  R.,  vol.  t,  p.  343.  Ordinance  of  the  Fees  of  the  Mayor  and  Constables  of 
(he  Staple.     Rot.  Stapule  de  anno  28  Edw.  Ill,  m.  17. 

*C.  C.  R.,  1341-1343,  pp.  190,  314,  393;  C.  P.  R.,  1343-1345.  P-  273- 


THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND  29 

arrest  and  imprison  them  until  they  paid  their  fines  of  60s 
per  sack.  They  could  levy  a  reasonable  tax  on  the  merchants 
when  the  business  of  the  Staple  required  it.  They  also  had 
power  to  appoint  deputies  to  govern  in  their  absence  when 
they  went  to  England,  as  they  were  obliged  to  do  once  or 
twice  a  year,  to  consult  about  the  management  of  the  Staple.' 

When  there  was  no  foreign  Staple,  but  the  several  staple 
places  within  the  realm,  it  was  their  duty  to  give  certificates 
to  the  merchants  for  their  wool,  wool-fells  and  leather,  and  to 
seal  with  the  seals  of  the  Mayor  and  at  least  one  of  the  Con- 
stables, every  sack  of  wool  which  left  a  staple ;  and  also  to 
make  indentures  with  the  custom  officers  for  all  wool,  wool- 
fells  and  leather  exported.^  If  a  staple  was  in  an  inland 
town,  the  merchandise  could  not  be  taken  to  the  place  of  ex- 
port until  it  had  been  certified  by  the  Mayor.^ 

It  was  also  the  duty  of  the  staple  authorities  to  have  a 
supervision  over  the  storehouses  for  the  merchandise  of  the 
staple  and  to  see  that  excessive  rent  was  not  charged  for 
them.-*  They  protected  the  merchants,  both  native  and 
foreign,  from  infringements  on  their  liberties ;  they  could  also 
arrest  and  try  any  royal  officer  who  attempted  to  take  prises 
within  the  bounds  of  a  staple,^  or  to  levy  purveyance  on  the 
goods  of  any  foreign  merchant.^ 

But  by  far  the  most  important  duty  of  the  Mayor  and 
Constables  was  the  administration  of  justice.  They  had  juris- 
diction over  all  pleas  for  debt,  contract  and  trespass  whether 
committed  within  or  without  a  staple,  when  one  party  was 
a  merchant  or  a  servant  of  a  staple. ^     Justice  was  admin- 

1  Appendix,  p.  65.  'C.  C.  R.,  1323-1327,  p.  585. 

»C.  C.  R.,  1327-1330,  p.  134.  *S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  16. 

^S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  4.  ^  Ibid.,  c.  2. 

"^ Ibid.,  c.  8.  By  this  statute,  if  a  felony  was  committed  within  the  bounds  of 
the  staple,  the  Mayor  of  the  staple,  with  others,  was  to  be  assigned  justice  to 
hear  the  case  within  the  staple,  according  to  common  law.  But  this  power  was 
removed  by  statute  36  Edw.  Ill,  c.  7,  and  thereafter  felony  was  to  be  tried  as  it 
had  always  been  before  the  Statute  of  the  Staple  of  I353- 


30  THE   STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

istered  according  to  Law  Merchant,  but  a  merchant  stranger, 
whether  plaintiff  or  defendant,  might  sue  at  common  law 
without  the  bounds  of  the  staple,  instead  of  at  Law  Merchant 
before  the  Mayor  and  Constables  within  the  staple,  if  he 
wished." 

The  inquest  was  employed  in  the  staple  court,  and  its  com- 
position was  such  as  to  secure  impartiality.  If  both  parties 
to  a  suit  were  natives,  the  jurors  were  Englishmen ;  if  for- 
eigners, the  jurors  were  foreigners ;  if  one  was  a  native  and 
one  a  foreigner,  the  jurors  were  equally  divided,  provided 
there  were  a  sufficient  number  of  foreigners  in  the  town. 
If  not,  then  the  inquest  contained  as  many  foreigners  as  there 
were  in  the  town  who  were  not  parties  to  the  suit,  and  the 
remainder  were  natives. ^^  Moreover,  the  foreign  merchants 
had  the  right  to  choose  two  of  their  number  to  sit  with  the 
Mayor  and  Constables  to  hear  the  complaints  made  against 
any  of  them,  and  to  see  that  speedy  justice  was  done.3 

In  all  cases  tried  before  the  Mayor  and  Constables,  appeal 
could  be  had  to  the  Chancellor  and  the  king's  Council.'*  In 
1427  it  was  decreed  that  no  suit  commenced  before  the 
Mayor  and  Constables  should  be  removed  as  long  as  Law 
Merchant  accorded  with  the  common  law  of  the  land ;  s  and 
the  removal  of  a  case  from  a  staple  court  was  said  to  be  a 
thing  unknown.^ 

The  Mayor  and  Constables  could  arrest  and  imprison 
offenders  for  debt  and  trespass  committed  in  a  staple,  and 
in  each  staple  place  a  prison  was  set  apart  for  their  safe 
keeping.  The  officers  of  the  town  were  obliged  to  render  the 
staple  authorities  all  the  assistance  they  needed  in  the  execu- 
tion of  this  duty.^ 

»  S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c,  8;   36  Edw.  Ill,  c.  7. 

'^ Ibid.,  28  Edw.  Ill,  c.  13.  ^  Ibid.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  st.  2,  cc.  19  &  24. 

^ Ibid.,  c.  24;   Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  iv,  p.  32Sa.         ^Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  vi,  p.  328a. 
*  Wars  of  the    English   in   France,  Henry    VI,  vol.  i,  pp.  465-469.      (Rolls 
Series.) 

'S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  21. 


THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND  3 1 

Recognizance  of  debts  within  the  staple,  whether  the  party 
was  a  merchant  or  not,  was  taken  by  the  Mayor  before  one 
or  both  of  the  Constables,  and  when  executed  at  Calais  was 
of  the  same  force  within  the  realm  as  though  taken  before 
the  Mayor  and  Constables  of  a  staple  within  the  realm.' 

With  the  exception  of  the  appeal  to  Chancery,  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  staples  in  both  administrative  and  judicial 
affairs  was  left  entirely  to  the  staple  authorities,  the  king's 
justices  and  other  ministers  being  prohibited  from  executing 
their  office  within  the  bounds  of  a  staple.^  Every  regula- 
tion in  the  statutes  and  ordinances  points  to  the  greatest  care 
being  taken,  even  in  minute  details,  to  secure  conditions  in 
the  government  of  the  staples  which  would  render  commercial 
intercourse  easy,  and  give  ample  protection  to  the  foreign  as 
well  as  to  the  native  merchants. 

'S.  R.,  10  H.  VI,  c.  I. 

^ Ibid.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  cc.  5  &  6. 


CHAPTER  III. 

REGULATIONS  GOVERNING  THE  BUSINESS  OF  THE  STAPLE. 

The  government  had  a  strict  supervision  over  the  business 
connected  with  the  export  of  wool,  wool-fells  and  leather. 
From  the  Statutes  and  the  Rolls  of  Parliament  it  is  possible  to 
form  a  very  clear  idea  of  how  the  transactions  in  a  staple 
were  carried  on. 

The  Statute  of  the  Staple  of  1353  is  the  most  detailed 
statement  of  the  regulations  for  the  home  staples.  By  this 
Statute '  all  merchants,  alien  as  well  as  denizen,  were  allowed 
to  go  about  the  country  and  buy  up  wool  wherever  they 
pleased,  but  they  were  obliged  to  take  it  to  a  staple  before  it 
could  be  exported.'  Wool-growers,  however,  were  not  obliged 
to  wait  for  the  merchants  to  come  to  them,  but  could  take 
their  wool  to  a  staple  if  they  chose.3  Before  this  date  alien 
merchants  had  been  prohibited  from  buying  anywhere  except 
atone  of  the  staples,-*  or  at  the  markets  and  fairs ;s  native 
merchants,  on  the  other  hand,  had  been  allowed  to  buy  any- 
where, and  if,  after  staying  forty  days  at  a  staple  the  wool 
was  not  sold,  they  could  take  it  elsewhere  provided  they  did 
not  sell  to  aliens.^  In  1332,  native  as  well  as  alien  merchants 
had  been  prohibited  from  selling  anywhere  except  at  one  of 
of  the  staples. 7 

There  was  great  danger  when  the  merchants  were  free  to 
go  about  the  country  buying  up  wool,  that  they  would  make 
agreements  among  themselves  to  keep  down  the  price.    They 

» S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2.  *  Ibid.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  st.  2,  c.  3. 

*Ibid.  *C.  P.  R.,  1327-1330,  pp.  98-9. 

^Ibid.,   1330-1334,  pp.  362-3.         ^Ibid.,   1327-1330,  pp.  98-9. 
">  Ibid.,   1330-1334,  pp.  362-3. 
32 


THE    STAPLE   OF   ENGLAND  33 

were  prohibited  from  doing  so  under  penalty  of  forfeiture 
and  imprisonment.'  Nevertheless,  alien  merchants  in  particu- 
lar took  such  advantage  of  the  poverty  of  the- people  that  the 
commons  finally  in  1455  petitioned  that  they  should  not  be 
allowed  to  go  about  the  country,  but  should  be  obliged  to 
buy  their  wool  at  the  ports  of  London,  Sandwich  or  South- 
ampton, or  at  the  "  Towne  of  VVestmynster,  where  of  olde 
tyme  Estaple  hath  been  and  yet  is." '  The  petition  was 
granted. 

In  1390,  when  alien  merchants  who  brought  goods  into 
England  were  obliged  to  buy  staple  merchandise  to  the 
value  of  one  half  their  imports,  native  wool  merchants  were 
prohibited  from  selling  anywhere  except  at  a  staple,  and  from 
buying  anywhere  except  from  wool-growers  or  tithe-payers.3 
The  native  merchants  were,  however,  allowed  by  this  act  to 
buy  wool  for  the  purpose  of  making  cloth.  This  interest  in 
the  manufacture  of  cloth,  which  here  appears  for  the  first 
time  in  connection  with  the  staple  regulations,  had  grown  to 
such  an  extent  by  1463,  that  foreign  merchants  were  pro- 
hibited, on  pain  of  forfeiture,  from  buying  or  exporting 
wool,  in  order  that  sufficient  might  be  kept  in  England  for 
the  cloth  makers."*  Until  this  prohibition  of  1463  the  export 
of  wool,  wool-fells  and  leather  had  been,  in  accordance  with 
the  Statute  of  1353,  the  exclusive  privilege  of  foreign  mer- 
chants,5  except  when  it  was  temporarily  given  to  natives  in 

^C.  P.  R.,  1327-1330,  pp.  98-9;  1330-1334,  pp.  362-3;  S.  R.,  27  Edw. 
Ill,  St.  2,  c.  3. 

'  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  v,  p.  334b.  *  Ibid.,  vol.  iii,  p.  278a. 

*S.  R.,  3  Edw.  IV,  c.  I.  "To  the  Intent  that  sufficient  Plenty  of  the  said 
Wools  may  continually  abide  and  remain  within  the  said  Realm,  as  may  com- 
petently and  reasonably  serve  for  the  Occupation  of  Cloth  makers  [of  England] 
...  the  king  .  .  .  hath  ordained  and  established  .  .  .  that  no  Person,  Alien 
nor  Stranger  born  .  .  .  shall  buy  or  ship  any  manner  of  Wools  or  Woolfels  .  .  . 
within  any  part  of  the  same  Realm  or  Wales,  or  them  or  any  of  them  carry  out  of 
the  same  Realm  or  Wales." 

^Ibid.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  3;  38  Edw.  Ill,  st.  i,  c.  2;  43  Edw.  Ill,  c.  i; 
14  Rich.  II,  c.  5. 


34  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

return  for  an  increase  in  customs,  a  grant  of  wool,  a  subsidy 
or  an  aid.'  The  higher  export  rates  paid  by  foreign  merchants 
explains  this  restriction  on  the  denizens.'' 

The  merchandise  could  be  exposed  for  sale  in  a  staple 
every  day  in  the  week  except  Sunday  and  Feast  days ;  no 
wool  could  be  shown  or  sold  within  three  miles  of  a  staple  by 
a  merchant,  but  a  grower  of  the  wool  could  sell  it  anywhere. ^ 

After  the  merchant  had  bought  his  wool,  wool-fells  or 
leather,  it  had  to  be  taken  to  a  home  staple  before  being 
exported.  If  the  staple  was  in  a  seaport,  the  wool,  having 
been  weighed  by  the  king's  standard  weights  in  the  presence 
of  the  custom  officer,  was  sealed  by  the  official  seal  of  the 
Mayor  of  the  staple.  An  indenture  was  then  made  out 
between  the  Mayor  and  the  custom  officer,  of  all  the  wool  and 
lead  that  had  been  weighed  and  of  all  the  other  merchandise 
which  had  come  there;  and  after  the  customs  were  paid,  the 
merchant  was  free  to  export  his  goods  wherever  he  pleased 
provided  there  was  no  Staple  abroad.  But  if  the  home  sta- 
ple was  at  an  inland  town,  the  wool,  after  being  weighed 
by  the  merchants,  probably  in  the  presence  of  some  staple 
officer,  was  sealed  by  the  Mayor  of  the  staple ;  then,  the 
customs  having  been  paid,  a  certificate  for  the  wool  and  other 
merchandise,  and  for  the  duty  paid,  was  made  out  by  the 
Mayor  and  officially  sealed.  The  goods  were  then  taken  to  a 
certain  prescribed  seaport,  where  the  wool  was  weighed  again, 
in  the  presence  of  the  custom  officer.'^  The  regulations  here 
set  forth   are   somewhat   deficient ;    they   do   not    state,   for 

•  S.  R.,  31  Edw.  Ill,  St.  I,  c.  8;  34  Edw.  Ill,  c.  21;  36  Edw.  Ill,  c.  11;  5 
Rich.  II,  St.  2,  c.  2. 

'The  duties  paid  by  native  merchants  were:  6s.  Sd.  for  each  sack  of  wool;  6s. 
Sd.  for  300  wool-fells;  13J.  ^d.  for  a  last  of  hides.  Those  paid  by  aliens  were: 
10^.  for  a  sack  of  wool,  105.  for  300  wool-fells,  and  20s.  for  a  last  of  hides.  S. 
R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  I. 

*  Ibid.,  28  Edw.  Ill,  c.  14.  The  staple  at  Westminster  began  on  the  next  day 
after  the  Feast  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula.     John  Stow,  Survey  of  London,  p,  40. 

♦S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  I. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  35 

instance,  that  the  merchant  must  show  his  certificate  to  the 
customer  at  the  second  weighing ;  but  this  must  have  been 
done,  as  this  second  weighing  was  without  doubt  a  precaution 
taken  to  prevent  wool  which  had  not  paid  duty  from  being 
exported.  Neither  does  the  Statute  state  that  an  indenture 
was  made  out  in  these  ports  for  the  wares  which  had  come 
from  an  inland  staple ;  but  we  are  led  to  infer  that  such  must 
have  been  the  procedure,  since  an  indenture  was  made  out  for 
all  the  staple  merchandise  exported  from  the  other  ports.' 
It  should  be  noticed  that  in  the  case  of  the  inland  staple  towns 
the  Mayor  of  the  staple  acted  as  collector  of  customs;  and 
also  that  there  must  have  been  staple  magistrates  in  the  ports 
prescribed  for  these  towns  to  make  out  the  indentures  there. 

If  the  wool  was  bought  at  a  place  between  a  staple  and  the 
sea,  and  was  to  be  carried  to  the  staple  by  water,  precautions 
were  taken  to  prevent  its  being  carried  directly  out  of  the 
country  without  going  first  to  the  staple.  Before  the  mer- 
chant could  ship  his  goods  he  was  obliged  to  make  out  an 
indenture  with  the  bailiff  of  the  town,  showing  how  much  he 
was  shipping ;  then  the  merchant  and  the  ship  master  gave 
oath  and  security  that  they  would  go  to  the  staple  and  no- 
where else  and  unload  the  cargo  before  exporting  it.  The 
bailiff  sent  one  part  of  the  indenture  to  the  Mayor  of  the  sta- 
ple by  the  ship  master ; '  the  other  part  was  sent  to  the  Mayor 
at  the  expense  of  the  exporter  by  some  man  for  whose  hon- 
esty he  would  answer.3 

The  ordinance  of  1341  shows  the  course  to  be  followed 
when  there  was  a  Staple  across  the  channel.  The  goods  hav- 
ing been  brought  to  a  port  where  the  king's  custom  officers 
were,  the  merchant  took  an  oath  that  the  wool  was  avowed 
under  the  name  of  the  owner,  and  gave  security  that  he  would 

^S.  R.,  43  Edw.  Ill,  c.  I.  This  statute,  which  re-enacts  the  regulations  of 
1353,  distinctly  states  that  an  indenture  was  to  be  made  out  in  these  special  ports 
between  the  customer  and  the  Mayor  and  at  least  one  of  the  Constables  of  the 
staple  who  were  in  these  ports. 

■^C.  P.  R.,  1330-1334,  pp.  362-3.  •  S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  15. 


36  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

truly  take  it  to  the  Staple  and  not  elsewhere.  An  indenture 
was  then  made  out  between  the  custom  officer  and  the  mer- 
chant, one  part  of  which  was  sealed  by  the  seal  of  the 
exporter  and  the  other  by  the  king's  seal  "  cocket."  The 
indenture  specified  the  oath  and  security,  the  owner  of  the 
wool  and  the  number  of  sacks  exported.  The  part  under  the 
seal  of  the  exporter  was  kept  by  the  custom  officer  to  be  sent 
in  to  the  Exchequer  when  he  rendered  his  accounts ;  the  other 
part,  under  the  seal  "  cocket,"  was  given  to  the  ship  master, 
who  then  proceeded  to  the  Staple  or  to  the  harbor  nearest  it. 
Here  he  could  not  unload  the  cargo  until  it  had  been  inspected 
by  the  Mayor  and  the  Constables  of  the  Staple,  and  the  other 
part  of  the  indenture  given  to  them  to  be  by  them  turned  in 
to  the  Exchequer.'  The  wool  was  then  weighed  again  in  the 
presence  of  the  Mayor  of  the  Staple,  and  sometimes  of  some 
royal  official  as  well,^  before  it  was  taken  to  the  Staple  and 
exposed  for  sale.  All'  the  wool  found  which  had  not  been 
cocketed  was  forfeited,  together  with  the  ship  in  which  it  was 
laden.3 

The  Staple  thus  provided  the  machinery  for  a  strict  super- 
vision over  the  collection  of  customs.  By  this  system  of 
checks,  made  effective  by  repeated  weighings,  and  by  the 
certificates  and  indentures  of  the  Mayor  and  Constables,  an 
attempt  was  made  to  prevent  fraud  on  the  part  of  the  custom 
officers  and  exporters. 

But  in  spite  of  all  the  regulations  there  was  much  illegal 
shipping  carried  on.  A  great  deal  of  wool,  after  it  had  been 
cocketed,  was  taken  to  other  foreign  markets  instead  of  to  the 
Staple.  There  were  always  complaints  against  this,  but  they 
became  especially  numerous  in  the  last  half  of  the  fourteenth 
and  throughout  the  fifteenth  century,  after  the  Staple  was 

'Appendix,  p.  63.  Mention  of  the  oath  is  found  in  earlier  documents;  e.  g.. 
Ordinance  of  the  Staple  (1320),  Appendix,  p.  60;  C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  pp.  243, 
246,  et passim  ;   1341-1343,  p.  223;    S.  R.,  14  Edw.  Ill,  st.  I,  c.  21. 

'C.  C.  R.,  1341-1343,  p.  393.  »  Appendix,  p.  63. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  37 

established  at  Calais.  These  complaints  mention  the  loss  to 
the  king  of  the  customs  and  subsidies  ;  that  the  mint  at  Calais 
was  not  sustained ;  that  the  merchandise  was  sold  at  so  low  a 
price  outside  that  no  one  would  go  to  the  Staple,  so  that  the 
merchants  of  the  Staple  were  ruined  and  the  town  of  Calais 
was  not  maintained.'  In  order  to  escape  the  heavy  penalties 
for  this  violation  of  the  Staple  ordinance,  the  guilty  merchants 
did  not  return  to  England,  but  had  their  wool  sent  to  them 
cocketed  under  the  name  of  merchants  who  were  innocent. 
Many  foreign  merchants  also,  in  order  to  avoid  the  heavier 
duties  levied  on  aliens,  had  their  wool  cocketed  under  the 
names  of  native  merchants  who  were  willing  to  incur  the  risk 
of  the  heavy  penalties  which  were  inflicted  for  cocketing  as 
their  own  the  wool  of  other  merchants.^ 

Wool  was  also  taken  out  of  ports  uncocketed,^  through  the 
connivance  of  the  custom  officers,  who  accepted  bribes  from 
the  merchants  to  allow  the  wool  to  go  out  unweighed  and 
without  paying  duties.  Goods  were  also  smuggled  out  of 
creeks  and  places  where  there  were  no  custom  officers.  The 
penalty  for  this  was  forfeiture  of  the  ship  and  all  the  merchan- 
dise of  whatever  kind  found  in  it.  Informers  against  smug- 
gling were  encouraged  by  a  reward  of  a  large  part  of  the  for- 
feiture,^ and  the  act  was  finally  made  a  felony. s  The  losses  to 
the  state  through  these  various  forms  of  evading  the  Ordi- 

'  Ordinance  of  the  Staple,  Appendix,  pp.  59-60;  C.  C.  R.,  I34i-I343,p.  314; 
1467-1471,  p.  489,  ei  passim  ;  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p.  323b;  S.  R.,  8  H.  VI,  c. 
17;    10  H.  VI,  c.  7;   14  H.  VI,  c.  2;    18  H.  VI,  c.  15;   4  Edw.  IV,  c.  2. 

^Ordinance  of  the  Staple,  Appendix,  p.  60;  C.  C.  R.,  1339-1341.  P-  I77; 
S.  R.,  21  Rich.  II,  c.  17.  In  1442  there  was  a  petition  to  parliament  that 
native  merchants  carrying  wool,  etc.,  elsewhere  than  to  the  Staple,  should  pay  the 
same  customs  as  aliens,  unless  they  had  licenses.     Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  v,  p.  54. 

•C.  P.  R.,  1321-1324,  p.  164.  The  collectors  sealed  blank  ••cockets"  and 
gave  them  to  merchants  to  fill  out  for  themselves  ihe  amount  of  wool,  etc.,  ex- 
ported.    S.  R.,  II  H.  VI,  c.-'ie. 

*S.  R.,  2  H.  VI,  c.  5;   8  II.  VI,  c.  19. 

^Ibid.,  II  H.  VI,  c.  14;    14  H.  VI,  c.  5. 

437202 


38  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

nance  of  the  Staple  were  very  great.'  The  custom  officers 
who  permitted  illegal  shipping  were  made  the  subject  of  the 
same  penalties  as  the  shippers,'  and  finally  all  export  was 
prohibited  except  from  certain  specified  ports,  where  the 
king's  beams  and  weights  were  kept.  In  order  to  insure 
still  greater  control  over  the  export  trade,  all  merchants  ship- 
ping wool  were  required  to  bring  from  Calais  a  certificate 
from  the  customer  at  that  port  showing  that  they  had  gone 
there,  which  was  to  be  deposited  in  the  treasury  within  a  year 
from  the  time  of  sailing. ^ 

There  were  exceptions  to  the  general  regulation  that  all 
staple  merchandise  must  be  shipped  to  the  Staple.  The  mer- 
chants from  Italy  and  Catalonia  were  granted  permission 
under  Edward  III  *  to  take  their  wool,  etc.,  to  the  west 
"  through  the  straits  of  Marrock,"  instead  of  to  Calais ;  and 
always  after  the  statute  of  Richard  II  of  the  j^ear  1378,  they 
were  mentioned  as  an  exception  when  the  Staple  Ordinance 
was  enforced.  They  paid  the  dues  and  customs  of  Calais, 
and  gave  security  that  they  would  not  go  anywhere  to  the  east 
unless  they  went  to  Calais.  Southampton  was  mentioned  as 
their  special  place  of  export. 

A  similar  exception  was  made  in  the  case  of  the  burgesses 
of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne  and  Berwick,  who  were  allowed  to 
ship  to  specially  appointed  markets  in  Brabant  and  Flanders, 5 
the  wool  grown  in  the  northern  counties  of  England  and  in 
Scotland,  which  was  of  a  poorer  quality  than  that  from  the 
rest  of  England.  These  northern  merchants  declared  that 
this  wool  could  not  compete  with  that  sold  at  the  Staple,^  and 

'The  customs  which  formerly  amounted  to  ;i^68,COO  had  fallen  in  1449  to_^i2,- 
000.     S.  R.,  27  H.  VI,  c.  2. 

«  /6tc/.  '  /i>iW.,  4  Edw.  IV,  c.  2. 

*  Rymer,  Foedera^  R.  ed.,  II,  i,  264;   II,  ii,  768;    S.  R.,  2  Rich.  II,  st.  i,  c.  3. 
'The  places  to  which  the  merchants  of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne  and  of  Berwick 

were  allowed  to  go  were,  Middleburg  and  Bruges,  Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol.  iii,  p.  39; 
Barrowe  in  Brabant,  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  vi,  p.  164b;  S.  R.,  14  Edw.  Ill,  c.  3;  to 
Bruges  for  one  year,  and  for  one  year  into  Zealand,  Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol.  v,  p.  227. 

•  Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol,  iii,  p.  355. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  39 

would  not  bring  a  price  which  would  enable  them  to  bear  the 
expenses  of  the  Staple.  The  staple  merchants,  however, 
were  willing  to  give  for  the  wool  of  Newcastle  and  Berwick 
the  price  it  brought  in  the  Flemish  market  over  and  above 
the  customs  and  subsidies,  which  under  the  other  arrange- 
ment were  lost  to  England.'  The  license  was  repealed  more 
than  once,""  but  as  often  granted  again,  in  spite  of  the  injury 
done  to  the  Staple  at  Calais.^  A  financial  transaction  with 
the  king  can  be  clearly  seen  here. 

The  licenses  granted  to  individual  merchants  to  ship  wool 
free  of  custom  and  without  going  to  the  Staple  *  may  be 
classed  with  the  two  preceding  exemptions.  The  granting  of 
licenses  was  a  royal  prerogative,  and  was  used  to  reward  mer- 
chants for  services  and  to  repay  loans.  Although  this  caused 
a  direct  loss  to  the  state  revenues,  and  parliament  remon- 
strated against  it,^  yet  it  was  extensively  used  as  a  means  of 
satisfying  the  more  personal  as  well  as  the  public  needs  of 
the  king. 

There  does  not  appear  in  these  regulations  for  the  conduct 
of  the  business  of  the  Staple  any  care  for  the  interests  of  the 
merchants,  but  merely  for  the  collection  of  duties.  The 
Staple  became  a  great  financial  agent,  and  it  was  because  of 
the  use  which  could  be  made  of  it  that  the  government  fos- 
tered the  institution  as  long  as  wool  was  the  chief  article  of 
export. 

'S.  R.,  8  H.  VI,  c.  21. 

^ /did  ;  Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol.  vi,  p.  I17;    Rot.  Pari.,  vols,  iii,  \\, passim. 

^  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  iv,  p.  379a;    Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol.  v,  p.  227. 

*C.  P.  R.,  1467-1477,  pp.  389,  547;  C.  C.  R  ,  I339-I34i,  P-  3.  ""  Passim; 
1341-1343,  p.  299;   Pro.  &  Ord.,  vol.  iii,  p.  253;   vol.  v,  p.  223. 

*Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p.  323a;  vol.  iii,  pp.  465b,  5cob,  66ibj  S.  R.,  21  R.  II, 
c.  17;   27  H.  VI,  c.  2. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    LOCATION    OF   THE   STAPLE. 

The  practice  of  having  one  particular  Staple  for  English 
merchandise  located  in  one  or  other  of  the  three  provinces  of 
Brabant,  Flanders  or  Artois,  was  probably  begun  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  III.'  The  native  merchants  declared,  in  1320,  that 
there  had  been  a  Staple  in  those  lands  in  Henry  Ill's  life- 
time ;  and  in  the  sixteenth  century  the  Company  of  the  Staple 
set  up  a  claim  that  they  could  prove  the  existence  of  such  a 
Staple,  with  officials,  in  1267.''  We  may  concede  that  the 
Staplers  had  proofs  of  their  statement,  since  the  Merchant 
Adventurers,  with  whom  they  were  contending  for  the  export 
trade  in  woolen  cloth,  admitted  the  claim  of  their  adversaries. 
But  there  is  no  evidence  of  the  town  where  it  was  located, 
and  no  contemporary  record  of  its  existence  at  that  time  has 
been  found.3 

The  earliest  record  which  is  known  of  a  Staple  for  English 
merchandise  is  that  of  the  establishment  of  a  wool  Staple  at 
Dordrecht,  in  Holland,  in  1285.'*     Flanders  was  the  principal 

>C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  p.  235. 

*Calthorpe's  MS.,  vol.  xx,  fo.  255;  printed  by  Schanz,  vol.  ii,  no.  135,  p. 
588.  A  series  of  articles  setting  forth  the  grounds  for  the  claim  of  the  Staplers  of 
their  right  to  trade  in  woolen  cloth. 

'  Malynes,  in  the  Centre  of  the  Circle  of  Commerce,  says  that  •'  There  are  records 
in  the  Pipe  Office  of  the  Exchequer  mentioning  that  they  then  [1267]  had  their 
staple  at  Antwerp  for  the  conducting  of  the  vent  of  English  staple  wares."  See 
for  this  quotation,  Anderson,  History  of  Commerce,  vol.  i,  p.  288.  Duke,  Pro- 
lusiones  Historicae,  vol.  i,  p.  59,  evidently  uses  the  same  source.  Malynes  was 
writing  in  too  great  heat  of  controversy  for  the  statement  to  have  much  weight, 
and  it  has  never  been  corroborated. 

*Melis  Stoke,  iv,  243-4;   see  Davies,  vol.  i,  p.  112;    Kervyn,  vol.  ii,  p.  358; 
Rymer,  Foedera,  I,  iii,  3,  6.      Convention  between  the  Count  of  Holland  and  the 
King  of  England. 
40 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  4I 

market  for  English  wool  before  this ;  but  the  trade  between 
the  two  countries  was  constantly  interrupted  by  political  and 
commercial  differences.  The  marriage  alliance  between  Ed- 
ward, Prince  of  Wales,  and  Philippa,  daughter  of  Guy  de 
Dampierre,  count  of  Flanders,  concluded  in  1280,  seemed  to 
promise  a  peaceful  settlement  of  all  the  difficulties.  But  the 
sympathies  of  Guy  were  drawn  to  the  cause  of  Edward's 
enemy,  Philip  of  France,  and  the  projected  marriage  was 
abandoned.  Arrests  and  confiscation  of  merchandise  fol- 
lowed on  both  sides,  and  Edward,  at  the  request  of  the  mer- 
chants of  Holland,  who  were  jealous  of  the  Flemish  trade, 
granted  them  the  coveted  monopoly.' 

This  establishment  of  the  Staple  at  Dordrecht,  in  the  ter- 
ritory of  their  neighbor,  made  the  Flemish  merchants  depen- 
dent on  the  markets  of  Holland  for  their  wool.^  The  resent- 
ment which  the  count  of  Flanders  felt  at  this  treatment 
caused  him  to  strengthen  his  relations  with  Philip  the  Fair, 
whereupon  Edward  prohibited  individual  merchants  from 
carrying  any  wool  into  the  county,  treating  Flanders  pre- 
cisely as  he  did  the  country  of  his  French  enemy.^  In  1297, 
however,  the  count  turned  against  Philip,  and  made  an  offen- 
sive and  defensive  alliance  with  Edward,  and  probably  about 
this  time  the  wool  Staple  was  removed  from  Dordrecht,  and 
established  at  Bruges."*  It  remained  there  until  some  time 
after  the  battle  of  Courtrai  (1302),  when  it  was  removed  to 
Antwerp.s  It  was  still  held  at  Antwerp  in  1 3 1  o,^  and  doubtless 
for  four  years  longer;  then  St.  Omer  in  Artois  was  chosen  for 

'Varenbergh,  Relations  Diplomatiques,  pp.  164-5. 

'  Ibid.,  pp.  165-6. 

•Champollion,  Documents  inidits,\o\.  i,  Lettres  214,  317;  see  Varenbergh, 
p.  177. 

*Rymer,  Foedera,  I,  iii,  168,  177;  Melis  Stoke,  iv,  p.  244;  see  Davies,  vol. 
i,  p.  117;    Meyer,  Anna/.  Fland.,  a"  1296;    see  Varenbergh,  pp.  180,  181. 

^  Comptts  de  la  ville  de  Bruges,  a"  1305,  fo.  13;  see  Varenbergh,  p.  iSi; 
Kervyn,  vol,  iii,  p.  160. 

•C.  C.  R.,  1307-1313.  P-  293- 


42  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

it,  with  the  permission  of  the  king  of  France.'  In  the  same 
year  the  count  of  Flanders  asked  Edward  II  to  consent  to 
the  re-establishment  of  the  Staple  of  wool  at  Bruges  ;^  but  the 
political  relations  of  the  two  countries  were  disturbed,  since 
the  Flemish  people  were  disposed  to  render  aid  to  Scotland, 
and  nothing  further  is  heard  of  the  request.  The  Staple  was 
still  in  St.  Omer  in  February,  1315,^  but  the  treatment  to 
which  the  English  merchants  were  subjected  by  the  sailors  of 
Calais  *  made  its  removal  advisable,  and  it  was  set  up  in  Ant- 
werp again,  probably  before  the  close  of  the  year.s  In  13 18 
Robert  of  Flanders  renewed  the  request  for  a  Staple  of  Eng- 
lish merchandise ;  and  as  the  death  of  Louis  of  France  had 
removed  the  cause  of  much  of  Edward's  hostility  toward 
Flanders,  the  English  king  called  together  the  merchants  of 
the  realm  to  consult  with  regard  to  granting  this  favor. ^  But 
the  assistance  which  the  Flemings  continued  to  give  to' the 
Scotch  was  a  constant  cause  of  resentment  to  England,  and 
the  negotiations  did  not  succeed.  The  Staple  was  at  Ant- 
werp until  1320,7  when  it  was  once  more  located  in  St.  Omer,' 
where  it  remained  for  the  next  three  years. 

The  friendly  relations  between  England  and  Flanders  were 
strengthened  after  Louis  de  Nevers  became  count,  and  a 
truce  was  arranged  in  1323,  which  among  other  things  pro- 
vided for  freedom  of  trade  to  all  Flemish  and  other  alien 
merchants  during  the  truce,  without  regard  to  the  Staple  at  St. 
Omer.9     This  truce  was  prolonged  from  time  to  time,'°  and 

*  Rymer,  Foedera,  II,  i,  66;   C.  C.  R.,  1313-1318,  p.  219. 

*  Rymer,  Foedera,  II,  i,  69-70. 
»C.  C.  R.,  1313-1318,  p.  219. 

*  Rymer,  Foedera,  R.  ed.  ii,  279-81. 

*  Rymer,  Foedera,  II,  i,  90;   C.  C.  R.,  1313-1318,  p.  315. 

"Rymer,  Foedera,  II,  i,  163;   C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  p.  IIO. 

'  C.  C.  R.,   1313-1318,  p.   392;   Calthorpe's  MS.,  vol.  xx,  fo.  255;  printed  by 
Schanz,  vol.  ii,  p.  588,  no.  135. 

*C.  C.  R.,  1318-1323,  pp.  186-7,  250. 

^ Ibid.,  1323-1327,  p.  9.        ^°  Ibid.,  p.  378;    C.  P.  R.,  1321-1324,  p.  402. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  43 

on  its  renewal  in  1325,  Edward  granted  that  the  Staple  of 
wool  should  be  set  up  in  Bruges.'  This  city  enjoyed  the  long 
desired  privilege  for  only  one  year,  as  on  May  24,  1326,  the 
foreign  Staple  was  abolished,  and  it  was  ordained  by  the  king 
and  council  that  staples  should  be  held  at  certain  places 
within  the  realm.^  The  towns  chosen  were  not  new  staple 
places.  In  the  year  1291  Edward  I  had  provided  for  hold- 
ing staples  in  various  towns  in  England,  Ireland  and  Wales,' 
and  the  same  places  were  selected  by  Edward  II.  They 
were :  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  York,  Lincoln,  Norwich,  Lon- 
don, Winchester,  Exeter  and  Bristol,  for  England;  Dublin, 
Drogheda  and  Cork,  for  Ireland ;  Shrewsbury,  Carmarthen 
and  Cardiff  for  Wales;  Lostwithiel  and  Truro  for  Cornwall; 
and  Ashburton,  for  Devon.! 

For  a  period  of  tvv^elve  years  following  1326,  there  was  no 
Staple  across  the  Channel.  If  the  Staple  had  already 
proved  a  burden  while  it  was  outside  the  realm, ^  no  less  when 
there  were  only  the  home  staples,  was  the  institution  looked 
upon  as  injurious  to  commercial  interests;  and  although  one 
of  the  first  acts  of  Edward  III  was,  on  May  i,  1327,  to  cop- 
firm  the  staples  in  the  places  where  they  had  been  established 
by  his  father,^  yet  in  the  following  September,  at  the  request 
of  the  merchants,  he  allowed  them  to  trade  freely  until  after 
Christmas. 7  It  can  be  clearly  seen,  however,  that  this  was 
not  granted  for  the  benefit  of  the  merchants,  but  was  merely 
a  financial  expedient,  as  the  merchants  agreed  to  pay  in- 
creased duties  on  all  the  wool,  fells  and  hides  exported,  as  a 
loan  for  the  Scotch  war. 

This  grant  was  followed  in  1 3  28  by  the  abolition  of  all  staples 

>C.  C.  R.,  1323-1327,  p.  378.  ■^  Ibid.,  p.  565. 

'  Hist.  MSS.  Com.,  14th  Report,  App.,  pt.  viii,  p.  6,  MSS.  of  the  Corporation 
of  Lincoln. 

*C.  P.  R.,  1327-1330,  pp.  98-9. 

^In  the  ordinance  abolishing  the  foreign  Staple  it  was  stated  that  it  was  "  for 
the  advantage  and  easement  of  the  people,"  C.  C.  R.,  1323-1327,  p.  565. 

'C.  P.  R.,  1327-1330,  pp.  98-9.  ''Ibid.,  p.  169. 


44  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

"  ordained  by  kings  in  times  past,"  '  and  all  merchants  were 
allowed  to  go  and  come  into  England  "  after  the  Tenor  of 
the  Great  Charter."  For  four  years  the  merchants  enjoyed 
this  privilege,  and  then  in  1332,  the  staples  were  once  more 
set  up  within  the  realm.''  The  ordinance  by  which  they  were 
re-established  gives  such  careful  directions  for  the  manner  in 
which  the  merchandise  was  to  be  exported  and  the  customs 
collected,  that  it  cannot  fail  to  be  apparent  what  was  the  real 
object  of  forcing  the  merchants  to  attend  them. 

For  two  years,  from  1332  to  1334,  the  staples  flourished, 
and  then  at  the  request  of  the  nobles  and  commons,  parlia- 
ment again  granted  that  they  should  cease  throughout  the 
realm. 3  It  is  impossible  to  say  when  they  were  re-established, 
but  they  were  in  existence  again  in  1337.*  Thus  there  had 
been  eight  changes  with  regard  to  the  staple  in  twelve  years. 
This  lack  of  settled  policy  could  not  have  failed  to  be  disas- 
trous to  trade.  But  the  regulation  of  commerce  was  a  royal 
prerogative,  which  was  above  the  rights  of  the  people  and  the 
acts  of  parliament ;  and  it  was  regulated  merely  with  a  view 
to  filling  the  treasury. 

In  the  meantime  the  countries  across  the  channel  had 
suffered  from  loss  of  the  trade  which  came  to  them  with  the 
possession  of  the  English  Staple,  and  Edward  made  their 
desire  to  regain  it  serve  his  political  ends. 

The  struggle  with  Philip  of  Valois  for  the  French  crown 
began  in  1336.  Louis  de  Nevers,  count  of  Flanders,  took 
active  means  of  showing  his  adherence  to  the  French  cause 
by  arresting  all  the  English  merchants  in  Flanders  and  con- 
fiscating their  goods. 5  Edward  retaliated  by  prohibiting,  on 
August  12,  the  exportation  of  wool  and  leather,^  and  on  Octo- 

» S.  R.,  2  Edvv.  Ill,  c.  9.  « C.  P.  R.,  1330-1334.  p.  362. 

*Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p.  377;   C.  C.   R.,  1333-1337,  P-   223;    Rymer,  Foedera, 
R.  ed.,  II,  ii,  879. 

*  Rymer,  Foedera,  II,  iii,  169. 

^Varenbergh,  p.  309;   C.  C.  R.,  I333-I337.  P-  7i3- 

•  Rymer,  Foedera,  R.  ed.,  II,  ii,  943. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  45 

ber  5,  by  arresting  all  Flemish  merchants  and  merchandise  in 
England.'  This  pressure  brought  to  bear  on  the  commerce 
of  Flanders  did  not  bring  about  the  abandonment  of  Philip 
by  the  count  as  Edward  hoped,  but  it  weighed  heavily  on  the 
cloth  industry  not  only  of  Flanders  but  of  all  the  Low  Coun- 
tries as  well.  Brabant,  the  industrial  rival  of  Flanders,  at 
once  asked  that  a  Staple  of  wool  might  be  established  in  one 
of  the  cities  of  that  duchy;  but  the  king  of  England,  not 
willing  to  widen  the  breach  with  Flanders  by  conferring 
favors  on  Brabant,  temporized  by  declaring  that  he  could  not 
grant  the  request  until  he  was  assured  that  there  would  be 
free  access  to  English  merchants  going  to  Brabant."  Although 
in  February,  1337,  he  sent  an  ambassador  to  treat  with  the 
communalty  of  Brussels,  Louvain  and  Malines  concerning  the 
establishment  of  the  Staple  in  Brabant,^  yet  nothing  came  of 
it;  and  two  months  later  he  sent  the  bishop  of  Lincoln,  the 
earl  of  Salisbury  and  the  earl  of  Huntington,  with  three  col- 
leagues, to  treat  with  the  count  of  Flanders  and  the  cities  of 
Ghent,  Bruges  and  Ypres  concerning  the  liberties  which 
would  be  granted  if  the  Staple  were  erected  in  Flanders.-* 
But  the  count  was  not  to  be  drawn  away  from  his  adherence 
to  Philip,  and  Edward  abandoned  his  advances  until  early  in 
October,  when  he  sent  another  and  much  larger  deputation 
on  the  same  fruitless  errand.s 

In  order  to  relieve  the  situation  in  Brabant  a  license  had, 
on  May  24,  1337,  been  granted  to  the  citizens  of  Louvain, 
Brussels,  Antwerp  and  fifteen  other  towns,  to  buy  wool  in 
England.^  But  to  insure  that  none  of  it  should  be  taken  into 
Flanders,  the  merchants  were  to  find  out  how  much  would  be 
used  by  the  workmen  in  each  city,  and  to  take  back  only 
the  amount  sworn  to  as  being  needed,  while  none  of  it  was 
to  be  taken  into  any  other  land  than  Brabant, 

'Rymer,  Foedera,  II,  iii,  152.  "^ Ibid.,  155.  ^  Ibid.,  159. 

^Ibid.,  165;   C.  P.  R.,  1334-1338.  P-  428. 

*  Rymer,  Foedera,  II,  iii,  190.  ^  Ibid.,  169. 


46  THE   STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

Edward  Ill's  attempt  to  win  the  communes  of  Flanders,  if 
not  the  count  himself,  by  means  of  the  Staple  had  not  suc- 
ceeded ;  but  soon  after  this,  through  the  influence  of  Jacques 
d'  Arteveldt,  freedom  of  trade  was  established  with  the 
bonnes  villcs ;  and  they  were  granted  by  the  treaty  of  June 
10,  1338,  permission  to  buy  English  wool  in  the  neighboring 
markets  of  Holland  and  Zealand,  and  to  trade  in  the  English 
ports.' 

Such  was  the  situation  when  the  parliament  of  1338  granted 
Edward  a  subsidy  of  20,000  sacks  of  wool,  and  it  became 
necessary  for  him  to  have  a  market  for  it.  A  Staple  was 
consequently  established  in  Brabant  at  Antwerp,  to  remain 
there  during  the  king's  pleasure.^  In  November,  1338, 
Edward  again  renewed  his  efforts  to  win  the  alliance  of  Louis 
de  Nevers  and  the  Flemish  communes,  and  empowered  the 
count  of  Guelders  to  treat  with  them  about  locating  the 
Staple  in  Flanders.3  This  same  year,  in  a  manifesto  which 
the  count  of  Guelders  published  in  Edward's  name,  when 
the  latter  assumed  his  office  of  Vicar  of  the  Empire,  he 
declared  it  his  intention,  if  he  succeeded  in  winning  the  crown 
of  France,  to  fix  the  Staple  of  wool  in  Flanders.'*  The  com- 
munes could  not  then  be  won  from  their  allegiance  to  the 
king  of  France;  but  in  1340,  after  the  king  of  England  had 
publicly  assumed  the  title  and  the  arms  of  France,  the  situa- 
tion was  changed,  and  on  the  assumption  that  his  claim  to 
the  French  crown  was  legal,  their  allegiance  was  due  to  him. 
Among  the  privileges  which  he  bestowed  upon  Flanders  was 
the  grant  of  the  Staple  of  wool  for  fifteen  years  to  the  city  of 
Bruges,  and  its  establishment  forever  in  the  territory  of 
either  Flanders  or  Brabant.^ 

^Varenbergh,  pp.  315  ff;  Rymer,  Feeder  a,  II,  iv,  23-4. 
»C.  P.  R.,  1338-1340,?.  189. 

»  Rymer,  Foedera,  II,  iv,  37;   C.  P.  R.,  1338-1340,  p.  193. 
^Notification  to  Flanders  of  King  Edward'' s  Appointment  as  Vicar  of  the  Enif 
pire ;  Archives  de  la  ville  d'  Ypres,  printed  by  Varenbergh,  p.  327. 
^  Varenbergh,  pp.  333-6;   C.  P.  R.,  1338-1340,  pp.  512  ff. 


THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND  47 

On  the  eighth  of  August,  1341,  this  grant  was  confirmed 
by  a  charter.' 

The  Flemings,  who  now  saw  their  industrial  prosperity  re- 
turning, took  advantage  of  the  situation  and  attempted  to 
keep  down  the  price  of  wool  by  confining  the  sale  of  it  to 
their  own  merchants.  Foreign  merchants  were  prohibited 
from  taking  away  wool  bought  at  the  Staple  ;  the  small  towns 
in  Flanders  which  had  formerly  used  large  quantities  of  wool 
were  prohibited  from  making  cloth,  while  the  Brabant  mer- 
chants were  obliged  to  give  security  that  all  the  wool  which 
they  bought  would  be  worked  up  in  Brabant,  and  even  to 
specify  in  what  cities  it  was  to  be  used.""  These  restrictions 
were  very  injurious  not  only  to  the  English  merchants,  but 
also  to  the  realm,  as  many  merchants  would  not  go  to  the 
Staple  with  their  merchandise,  and  there  was  consequently 
great  loss  in  the  customs.  There  were  continued  complaints, 
yet  the  king  made  but  feeble  effort  to  remedy  the  trouble. 
He  sent  deputies  and  letters  to  the  communes,  which  prom- 
ised for  the  future  that  equality  of  treatment  agreed  upon  in  a 
previous  treaty .3  But  the  king  acted  with  sufficient  energy 
in  his  treatment  of  the  merchants.  Notwithstanding  the  loss 
which  would  accrue  to  them,  the  Staple  remained  at  Bruges, 
and  orders  were  issued  throughout  the  realm  that  all  wool, 
etc.,  exported  should  be  taken  to  the  Staple,  and  not  else- 
where, under  penalty  of  confiscation.'^ 

After  the  capture  of  Calais  in  1347,  several  reasons  were 
obvious  why  this  would  be  a  favorable  location  for  the  conti- 
nental English  Staple.  A  permanent  native  population  was 
necessary  to  make  the  town  thoroughly  English.  The  mer- 
chants, together  with  the  large  number  of  servants  attached  to 

*  Appendix,  pp.  62-5;   C.  P.  R.,  1340-1343,  p.  277;   Varenbergh,  p.  349. 

'  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  pp.  143a,  165b;   C.  C.  R.,  1343-1346,  p.  428. 

»C.  C.  R.,  1343-1346,  p.  428;  C.  P.  R.,  1343-1345.  P-  '^n-  Ed7oard  III 
aux  bourgmestres,  echevi?is  et  conseilUrs  de  Bruges  (1345),  printed  by  Varen- 
bergh,  p.  443;    Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  pp.  165I),  202a;    Rymer,  Foedera,  III,  i,  29. 

*C.  C.  R.,  1343-1346,?.  555. 


48  THE    STAPLE    OE    ENGLAND 

the  Staple  would  help  in  a  large  measure  to  accomplish  this 
end ;  and  the  prosperity  of  the  place  would  be  materially  in- 
creased by  the  large  amount  of  foreign  trade  which  would 
follow  the  Staple.  The  staple  trade,  on  the  other  hand, 
would  not  be  so  subject  to  the  fluctuations  arising  from  dis- 
turbed international  relations,  and  this  would,  in  its  turn, 
insure  a  steadier  flow  of  customs  duties  into  the  treasury. 
Accordingly,  Edward  III  at  once  removed  from  Bruges  the 
Staple  for  tin,  lead,  feathers  and  woolen  cloth,  and  estab- 
lished it  at  Calais  for  seven  years.'  The  Staple  for  wool, 
wool-fells  and  leather,  however,  was  allowed  to  remain  at 
Bruges.  An  attempt  was  made  by  some  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Calais  to  hold  a  Staple  of  these  goods  also,  but  it  proved 
so  injurious  that  it  was  soon  given  up.'  The  English  Staple 
for  wool,  wool-fells  and  leather  remained  at  Bruges  until  1353,^ 
when  it  was  entirely  abolished  on  the  continent  and  estab- 
lished in  a  number  of  towns  in  England,  Ireland  and  Wales.* 
The  Staple  at  Calais  seems  still  to  have  been  held  for  all  of 
its  merchandise  except  perhaps  lead,  which  was  included  with 
the  wool,  wool-fells  and  leather  sold  at  the  domestic  staple 
places. 

There  was  no  English  wool  Staple  on  the  continent  for  ten 
years  (1353— 1363),  and  then  it  was  set  up  in  Calais ^  on 
March  i,  1363.  In  1365  the  Commons  asked  that  it  might 
be  set  up  in  England  once  more  for  the  benefit  of  the  people.^ 
The  merchants  do  not  appear  as  petitioners  with  the  com- 
mons. They  perhaps  found  Calais  at  this  time  a  better  loca- 
tion for  their  wool  market  than  the  English  towns,  and  so 
were  unw-illing  to  leave  there.  This  may  explain  why,  al- 
though the  king  granted  the  petition  of  the  Commons, 
and  even  appointed  the  towns  where  the  staples  should  be 

»  Rymer,  Foedera,  III,  i,  32.  ^  Ibid.,  R.  ed.,  Ill,  i,  178. 

'  S.  R.,  27   Edvv.  Ill,  St.  2,  Preamble,  and  c.  1.     Thomas  Walsingham,  Hii- 
toria  Aiiglicana,  vol.  i,  p.  278  (Rolls  Series);   Grafton's  Chronicle,  vol.  i,  p.  387 

*S.  R.,  27  Edvv.  Ill,  st.''2,  c.  I. 

''Ibid.,  43  Edw.  Ill,  Preamble.  *Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p.  287b. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  49 

held,  yet  there  is  no  indication  that  the  ordinance  was  ever 
carried  out.  But  in  1369  the  peace  between  England  and 
France  came  to  an  end,  and  the  danger  by  sea  was  so  great 
that  the  merchants  themselves  now  requested  that  the  Staple 
at  Calais  be  abolished,  and  the  staples  in  England  be  estab- 
lished.' The  danger  of  loss  in  transportation  was  merely 
shifted  from  the  staple  merchants  to  the  foreign  merchants. 
It  is  difficult  to  see  what  financial  benefit  the  Staplers  reaped 
from  the  change  since  the  exporters  no  doubt  offset  the  risk 
of  loss  by  sea  by  paying  less  for  their  wool  than  the  Calais 
price. 

There  was  no  English  Staple  on  the  continent  until  a  peace 
was  arranged,  and  then,  probably  in  1373,  it  was  once  more 
fixed  at  Calais.^* 

Notwithstanding  the  constant  interruption  to  trade  caused 
by  the  war  with  France,  the  Staple  now  remained  at  Calais 
from  1373  to  1383,  But  the  foreign  merchants  did  not  fre- 
quent the  Staple  as  formerly ;  they  were  in  danger  of  having 
their  wool  captured  when  they  took  it  away  by  water,  and 
there  was  little  or  no  security  for  the  staple  merchants  in 
Calais.  The  consequent  loss  in  trade  was  so  great,  that  in 
1383  parliament  agreed  that  unless  a  truce  could  be  arranged 
with  France,  the  Staple  should  be  held  in  England.^  But 
instead  of  being  brought  back  across  the  channel  it  was  re- 
moved to  Middleburgh  in  Zealand,^  where  it  remained  until 
1388,5  when  it  was  returned  to  Calais.  In  1390  the  merchants 
again  asked  that  it  might  be  transferred  to  England.*  But  it 
was  not  until  they  granted  the  king  a  subsidy  that  they  finally 
obtained   their  request,  and   in  January,   1391,  it  was  once 

'Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p.  301b;    Stow's  Annals,  p.  268. 
*Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p.  318a.  *  Ibid.,  vol.  iii,  p.  159. 

*C.  P.  R.,  1381-1385.  p.  397- 

^S.   R.,    12   Rich.   II,    c.    16;   Rynier,    Foidera,   III,  iv,   32;   Polychronicon 
Ranulphi  Higden,  vol.  ix,  p.  90  (Rolls  Series). 
•  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  iii,  p.  26Sb. 


50  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

more  established  in  the  home  staple  towns."     But  although  it 
had  been  promised  that  it  should  remain  forever  in  England, 
the  following   June   (1392)    saw   its   return  to   Calais.''     In 
14033  and  again  in  1404'*  the  merchants  desired  its  removal 
because  of  expected  war;   and  in  1421   parliament  gave  the 
king  permission  to  remove  it  to  any  place  he  chose  for  three 
years.5     But  notwithstanding  these  indications  of  the  popular 
desire  to   hold  the  Staple   in  England   only,  no  change  was 
made  in  its  location,  and  it  remained  in  Calais  without  inter- 
ruption until  the  loss  of  the  town  in  1558.     It  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  Middleburg,  where  it  remained  at  least  during  that 
year  and  the  following.*     The  charter  granted  to  the  mer- 
chants in   Ai^5|i,  reserved  to  the  English  Sovereign  power  to 
appoint  the  staple  at  Middleburg,  Bruges,  Bergen-op-Zoom, 
or  elsewhere,  on  nine  months  warning  to  the  company. ^     In 
1565  the  question  was  agitated  whether  it  should  be  removed 
to  Emden  or  to  England,^  and  six  years  later  negotiations 
were  under  way  with  the  king  of  France,  touching  its  estab- 
lishment in  one  of   his  cities,  preferably   Rouen,   Dieppe  or 
Rochelle.9     But  there  was  a  good  deal  of  opposition  to  put- 
ting into  the  power  of  the  French  such  a  source  of  wealth  as 
the  Staple  was,  even   its  period  of  decline,  and   the  English 
merchants  trading  in  France  did  not  care  to  be  limited  to  a 
staple  town.'°     In  1580  objections  were  made  by  the  Staplers 
to  its  removal  to  the  Brill  in  Holland ;  "  Zealand  as  well  as 
Holland  coveted  the  market  for  English  wool,  and  asked  to 

^  S.  R. ,  14   Rich.  II,  Preamble,  and   c.  i;    Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  iii,  pp.  278a,  279a; 
Polychronicon  Ranulphi  Higden,  vol.  ix,  p.  243  (Rolls  Series). 

*  Rot.  Pari.,  vol.  iii,  p.  285a.  *  Ibid.,  p.  529b. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  554a.  ^  Ibid.,  vol.  iv,  p.  130a. 

*  MSB.  of  the  Marquis  of  Salisbury,  pt.  i,  p.  169.     Calendared  in  the  Hist. 
MSS,  Com.  Reports. 

'Charter  of  1 561,  Appendix,  p.  70. 

*C.  S.  P.,  Dom.  1547-1580,  p.  258. 

*Ibid.^  For.,  1 572-1574,  pp.  22,  33. 

^^  Ibid,,  Dom.,  1547-1580,  p.  468.  ^^  Ibid.,  p.  694. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  5I 

have  the  Company  of  the  Staple  go  there  with  their  merchan- 
dise/ but  apparently  without  success. 

There  was  in  the  meantime  much  consideration  of  the 
advantage  which  would  follow  its  removal  into  England ;  ' 
and  when,  in  1617,  James  I  confirmed  the  charter  granted  by 
Elizabeth  in  1561,  the  Staple  was  fixed  in  various  cities  and 
towns  in  the  realm.^  It  was  not  now  confined  to  those  towns 
in  which  it  had  been  located  when  it  was  in  the  realm  before, 
but  many  new  ones  were  added.  The  places  where  it  was 
established  in  England  were:  London  and  its  suburbs, 
Canterbury,  Exeter,  Norwich,  Worcester,  Lincoln,  Win- 
chester, Shrewsbury,  Oswestry,  Northampton,  Brackley, 
Reading,  Cirencester,  Kendal,  Sherborne,  Devizes,  Taunton 
Deane,  Ratsdale  [Rochdale?],  Richmond,  Wakefield,  Hali- 
fax, Coggeshall,  and  Woodstock.*  For  Ireland  the  places 
chosen  were  :  Dublin,  Waterford,  Cork,  Drogheda,  Limerick, 
Galway,  Carrickfergus,  and  Londonderry. *  When,  in  the 
same  year,  the  sale  of  wool  was  prohibited  in  all  towns  ex- 
cept those  where  a  staple  of  wool  was  held,  petitions  were 
received  from  many  places  asking  to  be  erected  into  staple 
towns ;  ^  among  these  were  Leicester,  Leeds,  Chipping 
Campden  and  Tetbury.^  As  most  of  the  wool  was  now 
worked  up  in  England  the  staple  places  were  no  longer 
confined  to  towns  on  or  near  the  coast,  but  were  located 
where  they  would  be  accessible  both  to  the  wool-growers 
and  to  the  clothiers.  With  the  constant  decrease  in  the 
export  of  wool  the  activity  of  both  the  local  organizations 
and  the  Company  of  the  Staple  must  have  declined,  but 
their  legal  existence  was  not  effected.     The  seat  of  govern- 

'A.  P.  C,  1586-1587,  p.  206.  'C.  S.  P.,  Dom.,  1581-1590,  pp.  59,  6o 

*  Charter  of  i6iy.  Appendix,  p.  75. 

*  Ibid. 

*C.  S.  P.,  Carew,  1603-1624,  p.  329,  no.  171. 

^Records  of  the  Borough  of  Nottingham,  vol.  iv,  p.  355,  note  2. 

'  C.  S.  P.,  Dom.,  1611-1618,  p.  467,  no.  28. 


52  THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND 

ment  of  the  Company  was  fixed  at  Ledden  Hall,  London,  by 
the  Charter  of  1617.'  The  towns  where  the  staple  merchants 
held  local  staples  had  their  staple  priviliges  by  royal  patents ; ' 
and  these  towns,  in  some  cases  at  least,  continued  to  exercise 
their  rights  as  late  as  the  first  part  of  the  nineteenth  century. ^ 

This  study  of  the  location  of  the  staple  shows  that  out  of 
a  period  of  more  than  three  hundred  years,  there  had  been 
but  seven  years  when  there  was  no  Staple  for  English 
merchandise  either  on  the  continent  or  in  the  realm,  and  only 
twenty  years  when  there  was  not  an  English  Staple  on  the 
continent.  The  continental  situation  was  very  evidently  the 
one  that  was  most  advantageous,  except  in  periods  of  foreign 
war.  There  was,  to  be  sure,  great  want  of  stability  in  its 
location.  For  example,  it  was  changed  fifteen  times  between 
1326,  when  it  was  first  abolished  on  the  continent,  and  1391, 
when  it  was  permanently  settled  at  Calais.  The  same  fact 
can  also  be  seen,  but  in  a  somewhat  less  degree,  in  the  selec- 
tion of  the  places  where  it  was  located  within  the  realm,  when 
it  was  abolished  on  the  continent. 

The  list  of  the  places  chosen  by  Edward  II  when  he 
located  the  Staple  in'  England  in  1326  has  already  been 
given,"*  and  the  same  towns  were  confirmed  as  staple  places 
in  1327  by  Edward  III,^  who  mentioned  the  last  three  towns, 
Lostwithiel,  Truro  and  Ashburton,  as  special  staples  for  tin. 
In  the  Statute  of  the  Staple  of  1353,^  only  Carmarthen  was 
retained  for  the  staple  in  Wales,  but  VVaterford  was  added 
for  Ireland;  in  England,  London  was  dropped,  but  West- 
minster, Canterbury  ^  and  Chichester  were  added.  As  some 
of  the  towns  where  there  was  a  staple  were  located  inland, 
the  statute  provided  that  there  should  be  a  specified  port  for 

*  Charter  0/1617,  Appendix,  p.  77. 
^C.  S.  P.,  Dom.,  16H-1618,  p.  467,  no.  28. 

'Gross,  Gild  Merchant,  vol.  i,  p.  147.  ''Chapter  iv,  p.  43, 

^C.  P.  R.,  1327-1330,  p.  98.  «  S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  I. 

'A  staple  was  granted  to  Canterbury  in  honor  of  St.  Thomas  i  Becket,  Rot. 
Pari.,  vol.  ii,  p.  253. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  53 

each  one,  to  which  the  staple  merchandise  should  be  taken 
for  export.  These  ports  were  Hull  for  York ;  St.  Botolph 
[Boston]  for  Lincoln;  Great  Yarmouth,  for  Norwich; 
London,  for  Westminster;  Sandwich,  for  Canterbury;  and 
Southampton  for  Winchester.'  The  year  1369  saw  the  Eng- 
lish continental  Staple  abolished  for  the  third  time.  In  the 
list  of  home  towns  where  it  was  placed,  the  ports  of  Kingston- 
upon-Hull,  St.  Botolph,  Yarmouth  and  Queensborough,  from 
which  wool  had  been  allowed  to  be  exported,  were  substituted 
for  the  inland  staple  towns  of  York,  Lincoln,  Norwich  and 
Canterbury.  The  staple  at  Carmarthen  was  not  mentioned.' 
In  November,  1390,  the  staples  were  re-established  in  the 
places  named  in  the  Statute  of  the  Staple.3 

If  these  changes  are  studied  in  connection  with  the  lists  of 
shipping-places  for  staple  merchandise,  the  tendency  to  bring 
the  collection  of  customs  into  close  relation  with  either  the 
great  organization  of  the  Company  of  the  Merchants  of  the 
Staple,  or  the  local  organizations  of  the  merchants  in  the 
home  staples  will  be  seen.  In  1333  it  was  ordained  that 
customs  were  to  be  collected  only  at  the  staples.*  Of  the 
eighteen  ports  where  the  customs  were  collected  in  1341,5 
when  the  English  staple  was  in  Bruges,  six  had  been  the  seat 
of  the  Staple  when  it  was  in  England;*  by  1377,  four  more 
had  local  home  staples ;?  and  in  1445,  one  other,  Southamp- 
ton was  granted  a  patent  which  gave  it  staple  rights  and  a 
local  organization.* 

»S.  R.,  27  Edw.  Ill,  St.  2,  c.  I.  *  Ibid.,  43  Edw.  Ill,  c.  i. 

»/«</.,  14  Rich.  II,  c.  r.  ♦  C.  C.  R.,  i333-i337.  PP-  SM- 

*  These  ports  were  London,  Chichester,  Sandwich,  Southampton,  Bristol,  Mel- 
combe,  Weymouth,  Exeter,  Newcastle,  Hertlipole,  York,  Kingston-upon-Hull, 
Boston,  Lynn,  Great  Yarmouth,  Ipswich,  Carmarthen  and  Chepstowe.  C.  C.  R., 
1341-1343,  p.  190. 

•  London,  York,  Exeter,  Bristol,  Newcastle  and  Carmarthen. 
^Southampton,  Weymouth,  Hertlipole  and  Chepstowe. 

'Hist.  MSS.  Com.,  nth  Report,  App.,  part  iii,  p.  45,  Southampton  MSS. 
After  the  year  1377  Southampton  was  always  mentioned  as  the  special  shipping 


54  THE    STAPLE   OF   ENGLAND 

The  century  and  a  half  during  which  the  Staple  was  located 
uninterruptedly  in  Calais  was  the  period  during  which  the 
government  found  it  most  useful  as  an  administrative  organ. 
But  the  decline  of  the  Company  of  the  Staple  had  already  set 
in  long  before  this  period  was  past.  There  were  several 
causes  for  this,  but  chief  among  them  was  the  growth  of  the 
home  manufacture  of  woolen  cloth,  which  made  it  necessary 
to  restrict  the  export  of  wool.'  The  continental  wars  were 
also  disastrous  to  the  Staplers.  Their  merchandise  was  in 
danger  of  being  captured  in  crossing  the  channel,  and  when 
taken  to  the  Staple  it  brought  ruinously  low  prices.  The  for- 
eign merchants  did  not  frequent  the  Staple  as  formerly,  and 
those  who  did  attend  took  advantage  of  the  necessity  of  the 
Staplers,  and  would  not  buy  except  at  their  own  price.  The 
amount  of  wool  bought  annually  by  the  French  alone  had 
fallen  in  1527  from  2000  to  400  sacks.'  Among  their  causes 
of  distress  the  merchants  of  the  Staple  also  mention  that  the 
Spanish  wool  had  so  improved  in  quality  that  it  competed 
with  the  fine  English  wool,  and  could  be  sold  in  the  Nether- 
lands at  a  lower  price  than  they  could  afford  at  the  Staple  of 
Calais ;  for  the  Staplers  were  obliged  to  keep  up  the  price  in 
order  to  meet  their  fixed  annual  payments  to  the  govern- 
ment.3  For  these  various  reasons  the  shipments  to  the  Sta- 
ple fell  away  in  the  years  1520  to  1527,  so  that  the  merchants 
could  not  meet  their  obligation  by  ;^2  3,ooo,  while  they  placed 
the  loss  sustained  by  the  whole  body  of  Staplers  at  ;^ioo,ooo.'* 
There  is  no  doubt  much  exaggeration  in  this  picture  of  their 

place  for  the  merchants  of  Lombardy  and  Catalonia.  Doubtless  similar  staple 
privileges  were  granted  to  Berwick,  which,  together  with  Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 
had  the  monopoly  of  shipping  all  the  wool  grown  in  the  north  of  England  and  in 
Scotland. 

»S.  R.,  3  Edw.  IV,  c.  I. 

»  Brit.  Mus.,  Cotton.  MSS.,  Tiberius  D.,  VIII,  fo.  i6,  A  Petition  of  the  StapUrs 
to  the  Council,  circa  1J27,  printed  by  Schanz,  vol.  ii,  no.  129,  p.  565  ff. 

'  Chapter  i,  p.  19. 

^Petition  0/ the  Staplers,  printed  by  Schanz,  vol.  ii,  no.  129,  p.  565  ff. 


THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND  *  55 

condition,  as  at  that  time  they  wanted  to  be  released  from 
their  annual  payments;  we  know  that  in  1525  they  loaned 
the  king  ^^6,500/  But  nevertheless  the  fact  that  they  occu- 
pied fewer  wool-houses  than  formerly,'  the  risks  they  were 
willing  to  undergo  lest  their  wool  should  remain  unsold  in  the 
Staple,3  as  well  as  the  increasing  number  of  petitions  for  some 
remedy  for  their  condition,  all  show  that  they  had  passed  the 
zenith  of  their  prosperity  by  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth 
century. 

In  161 7,  when  the  Staple  was  for  the  last  time  abolished 
on  the  continent  and  re-established  in  England,  it  had  reached 
a  critical  period  in  its  very  existence  as  an  active  organiza- 
tion. The  export  trade  in  the  raw  material  was  no  longer 
able  to  support  a  large  number  of  merchants ;  the  English 
manufacturers  of  woolen  cloth  preferred  to  buy  directly  from 
the  wool-growers;  the  Staplers  were  complained  of  as  "  brog- 
gers,"  and  were  said  to  be  a  distinct  disadvantage  to  the  Com- 
monwealth in  exercising  their  ancient  right  of  buying  and 
selling  wool.* 

Their  only  hope  of  continued  prosperity  lay  in  being  able 
to  share  in  the  export  of  woolen  cloth.  Their  claim  to  this 
trade  involved  them  in  a  controversy  which  had  had  its  origin 
about  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century.  As  the  manufac- 
ture of  woolen  cloth  in  England  had  increased  during  the 
fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries,  a  new  company,  the  Mer- 
chant Adventurers,  had  arisen,  which  soon  had  the  same 
monopoly  in  the  export  of  woolen  cloth  that  the  Staplers 
had  in  the  export  of  the  raw  wooks  Woolen  cloth  had  been 
included   in   the   list  of  staple   articles   during   part  of   the 

*C.  S.  P.,  For.  &  Dom.,  1529-1530.  p.  3090,  no.  37. 
^  Ibid.,  1531-1532,  Henry  VHI,  vol.  v,  p.  639,  no.  1510. 
*  Ibid.,  1524-1526,  Henry  VHI,  vol.  iv,  pt.  i,  p.  675,  no.  1508. 
^Defence  of  the  Mayor,  Constables  and  Society  of  the  Merchants  of  the  Staple 
of  England,  State  Papers,  Dom.,  Interregnum,  vol.  25,  nos.  42,  43. 
'Lingelbach,  Merchant  Adventurers  of  England. 


56  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

fourteenth  century.'  The  Staplers  had  exercised  the  right 
to  export  it  before  the  date  when  the  Merchant  Adventur- 
ers became  a  chartered  company.''  A  conflict  broke  out 
between  the  two  companies  when  the  Merchant  Adventurers 
attempted  to  impose  the  entrance  fee  of  their  Fellowship 
upon  all  Staplers  who  exported  cloth  to  the  Low  Countries. 
The  trouble  began  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VI.  On  being 
appealed  to  by  the  Staplers  the  king  declared  that  the  charter 
which  had  been  granted  to  the  Merchant  Adventurers  by 
Henry  IV,  was  not  to  be  so  construed  as  to  injure  the  Staplers 
in  their  persons  or  goods.3  Henry  VII  and  Henry  VIII  ♦ 
both  supported  the  claims  of  the  Staplers,  who  based  their 
right  on  the  antiquity  of  their  Company,  and  its  priority  in 
engaging  in  the  cloth  trade.  But  the  Merchant  Adventurers 
refused  to  accept  the  decision,  and  caused  some  of  the  Stap- 
lers to  be  arrested  and  thrown  into  prison.^  However  this 
affair  may  have  been  settled,  the  controversy  broke  out  again 
in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  about  the  year  i$yo.^ 
Whereas  the  advantage  so  far  had  been  decidedly  with  the 
Staplers,  from  this  time  on  there  was  a  change  in  the  attitude 
of  the  Council.  The  Merchant  Adventurers  became  still 
more  hostile  to  the  Staplers,  and  were  opposed  even  to  ad- 
mitting them  into  their  Fellowship. ^  In  1582  a  suit  was 
begun  between  the  two  companies  ^  the  outcome  of  which  can 
be  conjectured,  as  in  the  following  year  the  Staplers  were  pro- 

*  Rymer,  Feodera,  III,  i,  32;    iii,    47. 

*  Merchant  Adv.,  p.  6. 

*  Grant  of  Privilege  by  Henry  VI  to  the  Staplers,  printed  by  Schanz,  vol.  ii, 
no.  116,  p.  539  ff. 

*  Inseximus  of  Star  Chamber  Decree  of  H.  VII,  printed  by  Schanz,  vol.  ii,  no. 
119,  p.  547  ff;  Interpretation  of  same  by  Henry  VIII,  ibid.,  no.  120,  p.  548; 
no.  123,  p.  556. 

5  Complaint  of  the  Staplers  ;  P.  0.  Star  Chamber  Proceedings,  H.  VIII,  Yol. 
ix,  p.  26,  printed  by  Schanz,  vol.  ii,  no.  127,  p.  563. 
•C.  S.  P.,  Dom.,  1547-1580,  p.  405,  no.  102. 
''Ibid.,  p.  698,  no.  76.  "  fbid.,  15S1-1590,  pp.  59-60,  nos.  22,  32. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  57 

hibited  from  exporting  woolen  cloth.'  The  Merchant  Ad- 
venturers petitioned  for  a  trial  before  the  Council ;  '  the 
Staplers  put  in  a  counter  petition  to  have  the  cause  tried  at 
common  law,3  but  later  acceded  to  the  demand  of  the  Ad- 
venturers.* The  Staplers  evidently  lost  their  suit,  as  an  at- 
tempt was  made  in  1621  to  have  their  trade  restored  to  them 
by  law. 5  This  failed,  and  the  long  controversy  was  finally 
ended  in  1634,  when  a  petition  from  the  Staplers  against  a 
new  order  in  council  in  favor  of  the  Merchant  Adventurers, 
that  they  should  have  the  sole  trade  in  cloth  in  the  Low 
Countries/  led  the  Attorney  General  to  examine  all  the 
charters  and  patents  of  the  two  Companies.  He  reported 
that  the  exportation  of  any  manufactures  of  wool  had  never 
been  a  right  possessed  by  the  Company  of  the  Staple  by 
virtue  of  any  of  their  patents,  but  that  it  was  vested  solely  in 
the  Merchant  Adventurers. 7  Thus  cut  off  from  all  hope  of 
sharing  in  the  growing  trade  of  the  rival  Company,  the  Stap- 
lers were  limited  to  the  export  of  wool,  fells  and  leather. 
But  the  clothiers  needed  the  wool  at  home.  As  the  cloth 
trade  brought  in  large  revenues  to  the  royal  treasury,  the 
export  of  wool  and  fells  was  frequently  interrupted.  In 
1626,^  1630,9  1632  '°  and  1660"  laws  were  passed  prohibiting 
any  wool  to  be  exported.  This  last  act  was  not  repealed 
until  early  in  the  nineteenth  century  and  it  was  a  blow  to  the 
Company  of  the  Staple  from  which  it  never  recovered.  After 
this  it  ceased  to  play  any  part  in  the  economic  welfare  of 
England,  although  it  still  retains  its  form  as  a  chartered 
Company. 

^C.  S.  P.,  Dom.,  1581-1590,  p.  114,  no.  26.  * /dU.,  no.  25. 

'/6iJ.,  no.  27.  *■  Ibid.,  p.  131,  no.  75. 

^  Ibid.,  1619-1623,  p.  250,  no.  113.  Cf.  Hist.  MSS.  Com.,  3*  Report, 
App. ,  p.  25 ;  Calendar  of  the  House  of  Lords  MSS.  The  bill  was  introduced  in 
the  House  of  Lords,  and  was  committed  on  Dec.  6,  1621.  There  were  no  fur- 
ther proceedings  in  the  matter. 

*  C.  S.  P.,  Dom.,  1634-1635,  p.  218,  no.  51.  ^  Hid.,  p.  257,  no.  59. 

•  Rymer,  Foedera,  VHI,  ii,  125.  '  Ibid.,  VIII,  iii,  96. 
^^ Ibid.,  245.                                 "  S.  R.,  12  Ch.  II,  c.  32,  sec.  I. 


APPENDIX. 


De  Stapula  tenenda  in  certo  loco  ordinatio,  Anno  13,  Edwardi 

SECUNDI. 

Rex  collectoribus  custumae  lanarum  &  pellium  lanutarum  in  portu 
London  salutem.  Cum  nos  vicesimo  die  Maii  anno  regni  nostri 
sexto  attendentes  damna  &  gravamina,  quae  mercatoribus  de  regno 
nostro  diversimode  evenerunt,  ex  eo  quod  mercatores  tam  indigenae 
quim  alienigenae  lanas  &  pelles  lanutas  infra  regnum  &  potestatem 
nostram  ementes,  &  se  cum  eisdem  lanis  &  pellibus  ad  vendendum 
eas  ad  diversa  loca  infra  terras  Brabantiae,  Flandriae,  &  de  Artoys 
eorum  libito  voluntatis  transtulerint :  &  volentes  etiam  hujusmodi 
^amnis  &  gravaminibus  quatenus  bono  modo  possemus  providere,  de 
consilio  nostro  ordinaverimus,  quod  mercatores  indigenae  &  alieni- 
genae lanas  &  pelles  hujusmodi  infra  regnum  &  potestatem  prae- 
dictam  ementes,  &  ad  terras  praedictas  ibidem  vendendas  ducere 
volentes,  lanas  illas  &  pelles  ad  certam  stapulam  infra  aliquam  earun-Majorft  Com- 
dem  terrarum,  per  Majorem  &  Communitatem  eorundem  mercatorum,  "^^j** 
de  regno  nostro  ordinandam  assignari,  ac  prout  &  quando  expedire 
viderint  mutandum,  &  non  ad  alia  loca  in  terris  illis  ducant,  seu  duci 
faciant  ullo  modo  :  &  inter  caetera  concesserimus  mercatoribus  de 
regno  nostro  supradicto  pro  nobis  &  haeredibus  nostris,  quod  ipsi 
Major  &  consilium  dictorum  mercatorum,  qui  pro  tempore  fuerint, 
quibuscunque  mercatoribus  indigenis  seu  alienigenis,  qui  contra 
dictam  ordinationem  venerint,  &  modo  rationabili  convicti  fuerint, 
certas  pecuniae  summas  pro  delictis  illis  imponant,  &  quod  illae 
hujusmodi  summae  de  bonis  &  mercimoniis  mercatorum  sic  delin- 
quentium,  ubicunque  ea  infra  regnum  &  potestatem  praedictam 
inveniri  contigerit,  per  ministros  nostros  ad  opus  nostrum  leventur  :Ch»rta  «nno 

regni  lez  t  o 

prout  m  Charta  nostra  mde  confecta  plenius  contmentur  :  quam    confecta. 
quidem  Chartam  per  singulos  comitatus  regni  nostri  super  costeras 

59 


6o  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

maris  fecimus  publican,  &  firmiter  inhiberi,  ne  qui  mercatores  indi- 
genae  seu  alienigenae  contra  tenorem  Chartae  praedictae  sub  poenis 
contentis  in  eadem  venerint  uUo  modo  :  Ac  postmodum  dato  nobis 
intelligi,  quod  quamplures  mercatores  tarn  indigenae  quam  alieni- 
genae, lanas  &  pelles  lanutas  infra  regnum  &  potestatem  praedictas 
ementes,&  se  cum  eisdem  lanis  &  pellibus  ad  vendendum  eas  ad  alia 
loca  in  dictis  terris,  quam  ad  Stapulam  juxta  concessionem  nostram 
praedictam  per  Majorem  &  communitatem  dictorum  mercatorum  de 
regno  nostro  in  aliqua  terrarum  illarum  ordinatam  &  assignatam 
transtulerint  in  nostri  contemptum,  &  contra  Chartam  ordinationis, 
publicationis  &  inhibitionis  praedictarum  assignaverimus  quosdam 
fideles  nostros  in  diversis  partibus  regni  ad  inquirendum  de 
lanis  &  pellibus  lanutis  ad  dictas  terras  alibi  qu^m  ad  Stapulam 
illam  ductis,  ita  quod  emendae  inde  ad  nos  pertinentes,  ad  opus 
nostrum  leventur  ;  etiam  intellexerimus ,  quod  quasi  omnes  mercatores 
tam  indigenae  quam  alienigenae  hujusmodi  mercimonia  in  dicto 
regno  nostro  exercentes  sunt  culpabiles  de  praemissis  :  &  quod  plures 
inde  indictati,  ac  alii  timentes  inde  indictari,  lanas  suas  ac  pelles 
lanutas  sub  nominibus  aliorum  non  culpabilium  faciunt  advocari,  & 
extra  regnum  nostrum  transmitti  quibusdam  alienigenis,  sic  culpa- 
bilibus  in  dictum  regnum  forsitan  non  reversuris,  ut  sic  forisfacturas 
praedictas  effugiant,  &  nos  de  emenda  ad  nos  sic  pertinente  illudant : 
quae  si  permitterentur  sic  transire  in  nostri  damnum  non  modicum 
redundarent.  Nos  volentes  hujusmodi  fraudibus  obviare,  &  nostris 
damnis  quatenus  bono  modo  poterimus  praecavere,  vobis  praecipimus 
firmiter  injungentes,  quod  a  singulis  mercatoribus  lanas  seu  pelles 
lanutas  per  portum  praedictum  ad  partes  exteras  ducere  volentibus 
corporale  sacramentum  ad  sancta  Dei  Evangelia  recipiatis,  quod  ipsi 
lanas  seu  pelles  lanutas  sub  nomine  ipsius,  cujus  propriae  sunt,  & 
non  alterius  advocabunt.  &  tunc  recepta  ab  illo  cujus  lanae  &  pelles 
hujusmodi  erunt,  vel  nomine  suo  sufficiente  securitate  pro  qua  re- 
spondere  volueritis ,  de  respondendo  &  faciendo  nobis  id  quod  ad  nos 
pertinet  de  lanis  &  pellibus  lanutis  per  ipsum  ductis  seu  missis  ad 
aliquam  dictarum  terrarum  Flandriae  &  Brabantiae,  &  de  Artoys 
contra  formam  Chartae ,  proclamationis ,  &  inhibitionis  supradictarum, 
si  ipsum  super  hoc  convinci  contingat,  lanas  &  pelles  illas  lanutas 
extra  portum  praedictum,  recepta  prius  custuma  debita  de  eisdem, 
ad  partes  exteras  transire  permittatis.  Teste  Rege  apud  Doveram 
decimo  octavo  die  Junii,  per  ipsum  Regem  &  Consilium. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  6l 

Et  postmodum  per  breve  de  private  sigillo  eodem  modo  manda- 
tum  est  coUectoribus  custumae  praedictae  in  portubus  subscriptis  : 
Videlicet, 

In  portu  villae  Southampton. 

In  portu  villae  Weymouth. 

In  portu  villae  Sancti  Botolphi. 

In  portu  villae  de  Kingstone  super  Hull. 

In  portu  villae  de  novo  Castro. 

In  portu  villae  de  magna  lernemutha. 

In  portu  villae  de  Lenne. 
,     In  portu  villae  de  Gypwico. 

Printed  in  Hakluyt,   Voyages,  vol.  i,  p.  352,  ed.  1903-1905,  Glasgow. 

BREVE  Domini  regis  de  Stapula  lanarum. 

Edw.  Dei  Gratia,  etc. 

Sciatis  quod  cum  ante  hec  tempora  dampna  et  gravamina  diversa 
mercatoribus  de  regno  nostro,  non  sine  dampno  progenitorum  nos- 
trorum  quondam  regum  Anglie  et  nostro  avenerint  multis  modis,  ex 
eo  quod  mercatores,  tam  indigene  quam  alienigene  lanas  et  pellas 
lanutas  infra  regnum  praedictum  et  potestatem  nostram  ementes  et 
secum  eisdem  lanis  et  pellibus,  ad  vendendum  eas  ad  diversa  loca 
infra  terras  Brabancie,  Flandrie  et  de  Artoys,  pro  eorum  libito 
transtulerent :  nos  volentes  hujusmodi  dampnis  et  gravaminibus 
obviare  et  nostro  ac  mercatorum  nostrorum  de  regno  predict©,  com- 
modis  quatenus  bono  modo  poterimus  providere,  volumus  et  de  con- 
silio  nostro  ordinavimus  perpetuo  durand.,quod  mercatores  indigene 
et  alienigene  lanas  et  pellas  hujusmodi  infra  regnum  et  potestatem 
praedictam  ementes  et  ad  terras  praedictas  ibidem  vendendas  ducere 
volentes,  lanas  illas  et  pellas  ad  certam  stapulam  infra  aliquem 
eorumdem  terrarum,  per  marjorem  et  communitatem  dictorum  mer- 
catorum de  regno  nostro  ordinandam  et  assignandam,  ac  prout  et 
quando  expedire  viderint  mutandam  et  non  ad  alia  loca  in  terris  illis 
ducant  seu  duci  faciant  uUo  modo ;  concedentes  dictis  roajori  et 
mercatoribus  de  regno  nostro  supradicto,  pro  nobis  et  heredibus 
nostris,  quod  ipsi  major  et  consilium  eorumdem  mercatorum,  qui  pro 
tempore  fuerint  quibuscumque  mercatoribus  tam  indigenis  quam 
alienigenis  qu  contra  dictam  ordinationem  venerint  et  inde  per  pre- 
dictos   majorem   et  consilium    dictorum    mercatorum    rationabiliter 


62  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

convincti  fuerint,  certas  pecunie  summas  pro  dilictis  illis  imponant, 
et  quod  ille  hujusmodi  pecunie  summe  de  quibus  nos  aut  ministri 
nostri  per  predictum  majorem  fuerimus  informati,  de  bonis  et  mer- 
cimoniis  mercatorum  sic  delinquentium ,  ubicumque  ea  infra  regnum 
et  potestatem  praedictam  inveniri  contigerit,  per  ministros  nostros 
juxta  informationem  praedictam  et  taxationem  inde  per  ipsum 
majorem  faciendam,  ad  opus  nostrum  leventur  salvo  semper  dictis 
majori  et  mercatoribus ,  quod  ipsi  mercatores  delinquentes,  si  eorum 
bona  et  mercimonia  in  stapula  predicta  extra  regnum  et  potestatem 
nostram  predictam  contigent  inveniri,  inter  se  rationabiliter  castigare 
valeant  et  punire,  sine  occasione  vel  impedimento  mortis  vel  heredum, 
nostrorum  seu  ministrorum  nostrorum  quorumcunque  sicut  hactenus 
facere  consueverunt.  In  cujus  rei  testimonium  has  litteras  nostras 
fieri  facimus  patentes.  Teste  me  ipso  apud  Cantuar.  vicesim.  die 
maii,  anno  regni  nostri  sexto  (1312). 

Cfr.  Delpit,  Documents,  francais.  Printed  in  Varenbergh,  Relations  DiplO' 
matiques  entre  le  Comte  de  Flandre  et  I'Angieterre,  p.  440-I. 

De  Stapula,  apud  Bruges  in  Flandria,  tenenda. 
Rex,  Omnibus,  ad  quos,  &c.  Salutem. 

Sciatis  quod, 

Ciim  nonnuUi,  Mercatores  &  alii  tam  Alienigenae,  quam  Indi- 
genae,  quaerentes  in  nostro  &  Respublicae  dispendiO  Lucrum  suum, 
Lanas  &  alias  Mercandisas  (non  solutis  Custumis  &  Subsidiis,  nobis 
inde  debitis)  quandoque  furtim  &  occulte,  quandoque  per  Minis- 
trorum nostrorum  Coniventiam,  extra  Regnum  nostrum  Angliae 
eduxerint,  &  indies  educere  non  desistunt,  Ipsas  quo  voluerint  tra- 
ducentes,  in  nostri  Dampnum  non  modicum  &  Contemptum, 

Nos, 

Tantae  volentes  obviare  Nequitiae,  ac  nostris  &  Fidelium  nostro- 
rum prospicere  Commodis,  ut  debemus, 
^An  ^i  ''e'        ^^   instantem  requisitionem,    Fidelium    nostrorum,    Mercatorum 
III,  pat.  15,  dicti  Regni  nostri,  de  maturo  Peritorum  nobis  assistentium  Consilio, 
E-  ni.  p. »,       Volumus  &  concedimus  quod  Stapula  Lanarum,  ac  aliarum  Mer- 
candisarum,  ad  hujusmodi  Stapulam  traduci  solitarum,  exnunc  extra 
dictum  Regnum  nostrum  educendarum ,  apud  Villam  de  Brugges  in 
Flandria  teneatur,  juxta  Conventiones  inter  nos  ac,dilectos  &  fideles 
nostros,  Homines  de  Flandria  super  hoc  initas  duratura, 


m.  15. 


THE    STAPLE   OF    ENGLAND  63 

Et  quod  per  Majorem  &  Constabularies,  jam  per  nos  deputandos , 
&,  cum  ipsi  Mortui,  vel  rit6  per  Mercatores  dicti  Regni  nostri 
Amoti  fuerint,  per  alios  Idoneos,  per  Mercatores  ejusdem  Regni 
nostri  Angliae  eligendos,  dirigatur ;  ad  quas  Amotionem,ex  causa 
rationabili,  cum  expedire  viderint,  &  Electionem  faciendas,  plenam 
eis  concedimus  Potestatem. 

Volentes  quod  per  dictos,  Majorem  &  Constabularios ,  fiant,  sine 
omni  Acceptatione  Personarum,  Punitiones  super  Transgressionibus 
&  Delictis,  in  dicta  Stapula  perpetratis,  &  omnia  alia  prout  in  hujus- 
modi  Stapula  alias  fieri  consuevit ;  &  nos  eos  in  hiis,  quae  sic  rite 
fecerint,  fovere  volumus  &  tueri. 

Quibus  etiam,  Majori  &  Constabulariis,  ac  Mercatoribus  &  aliis, 
ad  dictam  Stapulam  venientibus,  omnes  Libertates  &  Consuetudines 
rationabiles,  quas  in  hujusmodi  Stapula  habere  consueverant,  qua- 
tenus  ad  nos  attinet,  confirmamus, 

Adicientes  &  concedentes  quod  omnes  Homines,  Majores,  & 
Minores,  Alienigenae  &  Indigenae,  cujuscumque  states  vel  con- 
ditionis  extiterint,  Lanas  ac  Merces  alias,  ad  Stapulam  adduci  solitas, 
volentes  extra  dictum  Regnum  nostrum  educere,  illas  ad  dictam 
Stapulam  transmittere,  &  Collectoribus  Custumatorum  nostrarum,  in 
Portubus,  ubi  dictas  Lanas  &  Mercandisas  carcari  contigerit,  jurare 
Securitatem  facere  teneantur,  quod  ipsas  ad  dictam  Stapulam,  & 
non  alibi,  traducent,  ibidem,  juxta  modum  Stapulae,  venditioni  ex- 
ponendas. 

Et  super  hoc,  ac  super  Custuma  debita,  pro  dictis  Lanis  &  Mer- 
candisis  soluta,  fiant  Indenturae  inter  dictos  Collectores  &  Ductores 
Lanarum  &  Mercandisarum  praedictarum  ;  quarum  pars  altera  Sigillo 
nostro  (quod  dicitur  Coket)  &  altera  Sigillo  dictorum  Ductorum 
consignentur ; 

Ita  quod  dicti  Collectores  partem  Indenturae,  penes  eos  sub 
Sigillo  dictorum  Ductorum  remanentem,  habeant  ad  Scaccarium 
nostrum ,  cum  Compotum  suum  reddiderint ;  &  praefati  Ductores 
alteram  partem,  Sigillo  nostro  signatam,  ut  dicitur,  praefatis  Majori 
&  Constabulariis,  statim  cum  applicuerint,  ostendant  &  liberent ; 
quam  iidem.  Major  &  Constabularii ,  ad  dictum  Scaccarium,  ad  one- 
randum  ibidem  dictos  Collectores,  mittere  teneantur. 

Et,  ut  haec  Ordinatio  nostra,  metu  poenae,  melius  observetur, 
statuimus  &  concedimus  quod  omnes   Lanae  &  Mercandisae  prae- 


64  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

dictae,  quas  extra  Portus  dicti  Regni  nostri,  non  Custumatas ,  nee 
Cokettatas,  educi  contigerit ;  ac  etiam  Naves,  dictas  Lanas  &  Mer- 
candisas  portantes,  nobis  ipso  facto  Forisfactae  sint  &  Confiscatae. 

Et,  si  dicti,  Major  &  Constabularii,  dictas  Lanas  &  Mercandisas,  sic 
sine  Custuma  vel  Coketto  eductas,  inveniant,  habeant  pro  Scrutinio 
suo  Unam,  &  nos  aliam  Medietatem  Lanarum  &  Mercandisarum 
praedictarum  ;  forisfactura  Navium,  quae  propter  hoc,  ut  praedicitur, 
incident  in  commissum,  nobis  specialiter  reservata. 

Et,  si  aliqui  Mercatores,  vel  alii,  Lanas  &  Mercandisas  hujusmodi, 
sic  rit^  Custumatas  &  Cockettatas,  extra  Regnum  nostrum  eduxerint, 
&  illas  non  ad  dictam  Stapulam,  set  alibi  quo  voluerint,  traduxerint 
(Tempestate  vel  Incursu  Hostium  non  urgente)  Sexaginta  Solidos  pro 
quolibet  Sacco,  &  pro  Pellibus  &  aliis  Mercandisis,  sic  traductis,  juxta 
ratam  hujusmodi,  nobis  solvere  teneantur;  de  quibus  dicti.  Major 
&  Constabularii,  semper,  cum  expedierit,  Inquisitionem  faciant  dili- 
gentem. 

Et  cum  Tales  infra  dictam  Stapulam  &  Districtum  eorum  invene- 
rint,  ipsos,  donee  nobis  de  dicta  Poena  satisfecerint  arestari  faciant 
&  teneri,  alias,  si  ipsos  apprehendere  nequeant,  de  Nominibus  eorum 
nos  certificent  indilate,  ut  dictam  Poenam  de  Bonis  illorum,  qui 
dictas  Lanas  &  Mercandisas  sic  aliunde  traduxerint,  ubicumque  ilia 
infra  dictum  Regnum  nostrum  inveniri  poterunt,  levari  faciamus. 

Et,  ut  dicti,  Major  &  Constabularii,  ac  Socii  sui  Mercatores, 
melius  possint  &  liberius  dictam  Stapulam  regere,  &  in  statu  debito 
conservare ,  volumus  &  concedimus  quod ,  pro  Factis  &  Commissis  in 
dicta  Stapula,  deducantur  tantumodo  secundum  Legem  Mercatoriam, 
&  non  secundum  Comunem  Legem  dicti  Regni  nostri. 

Et,  qu6d  ab  Exquisitis  Occasionibus  &  Molestationbus  indebitis 
per  Nos  &  Haeredes  nostros  specialiter  praeserventur,  si  quae  Cartae, 
Munimenta,  vel  Pacta,  prius  facta,  dictam  Stapulam,  &  Libertates, 
ac  Legem  ejusdem,  non  autem  Personas  singulares,  contingentia, 
infra  dictum  Regnum  nostrum ,  vel  Potestatem  nostram ,  in  quorum- 
cumque  manibus  inveniri  contingat,  et  praedictis  Majori  &  Consta- 
bulariis,  absque  omni  difficultate  vel  contradictione,  volumnus 
liberari. 

Ad  haec,  volentes  Securitati  Mercatorum,  &  aliorum  Contra- 
hentium  in  dicta  Stapula,  uberius  providere,  volumus  &  concedi- 
mus quod   omues    Mercatores  super  Contractibus ,  factis  in  dicta 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  65 

Stapula,  ac  Litteris  Obligatoriis ,  &  aliis  inde  factis  ibidem  placitare 
possint  infra  dictum  Regnum  nostrum,  &  illuc  habere  Justitiam  & 
Justitiae  Executionem ,  ac  si  dicti  Contractus  &  Litterae  infra  dictum 
Regnum  nostrum  initi  fuissent  &  confectae ;  quacumque  Lege  seu 
Consuetudine  contraria  non  obstante. 

Et,  ut  dicta  Stapula  melius  continuari  valeat  &  defendi,  volumus 
&  concedimus  quod  Major,  Constabularii,  &  Mercatores,  dictae 
Stapulae,  pro  Comunibus  Negotiis  dictae  Stapulae ,  &  Venientium  ad 
eandem,  prosequendis  &  defendendis,  facere  possint  (cum  necessitas 
exegerit)  rationabiles  Impositiones,  seu  Tallagia,  super  Mercandisis, 
ad  dictam  Stapulam  adductis,  &  adducendis ;  ita  quod  non  deferatur 
Uni  plus  quam  Alteri ;  set  quod,  juxta  quantitatem  Bonorum  cujus- 
libet,  Aequalitas  observetur. 

Proviso  quod  illi,  qui  per  dictos  Majorem  &  Constabularios  ad 
levandum  dictas  Impositiones  vel  Tallagia  fuerint  deputati,  ibidem 
Compotum  inde  reddere  teneantur,  &  per  redditionem  dicti  Compoti 
sint  exonerati :  ita  quod  alibi  propter  hoc  ulterius  non  vexentur ;  & 
idem  fiat  de  Transgressionibus  ibidem  perpetratis  &  per  dictos 
Majorem  &  Constabularios  punitis  &  reformatis  (videlicet)  quod 
alibi  non  inquiratur  nee  concedatur  ulterius  de  eisdem. 

Item,  volumus  &  concedimus  quod,  in  casu  quo  Mercatores  dictae 
Stapulae  Platam  Argenti,  pto  Montea  cudenda,  ad  Cuneos  nostros 
deferre  voluerint,  Cunei  nostri  Londoniae  &  Cantuariae  parati  erunt 
&  aperti  ad  recipiendum  &  cudendum  dictam  Platam  ;  ita  quod  dicti 
Mercatores  erunt  in  forma  debita  celeriter  expediti. 

Volumus  etiam  quod  dicti,  Major  &  Mercatores  dicti  Regni  nostri, 
possint,  saltern  semel,  vel  bis  in  Anno,  cum  melius  vacare  poterint, 
in  Angliam  convenire  ad  Tractandum  &  Ordinandum  ibidem,  prout 
pro  statu  dictae  Stapulae  &  Utilitate  Communi  atque  sua  melius 
viderint  expedire,  ita  tamen  quod  alios  dimittant  in  dicta  Stapula 
loco  sui,  n^  per  illorum  absentiam,  dicta  Stapula  Detrimentum 
incurrat. 

In  cujus,  &c, 

Teste  Rege  apud  Turrim  London,  octavo  die  Augusti. 

Per  ipsum  Regem  &  concilium. 

Printed  in  Rymer,  FoeJera,  vol.  ii,  pt.  iv,  p.  109,  ed,  3,  Hague,  1739. 


66  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

Chartkr  granted  by  Elizabeth  to  the  Merchants  of  the  Staple 
OF  England,  May  30,  1561. 

I'atent  Roll,  3  Elizabelh,  part  2,  membrane  27. 

Pro  mercatoribus  stapule  Anglie  ■\  Regina  omnibus  ad  quos  etc. 
de  concessione  sibi  et  succes-  >  salutem.  Cum  tempore  sere- 
soribus.  )  nissimi   et   invictissimi   domini 

Edwardi  tercii  huius  regni  nostri  Anglie  quondam  Regis  progeni- 
toris  nostri  stapula  lanarum  et  pellium  lanutarum  et  aliorum  generum 
mercium  .  .^  ab  inclito  opido  Middilburgo  in  partibus  Zelandie  usque 
ad  villam  Calicie  per  prefatum  Regem  Edvvardum  tercium  translata 
.  .  fuerit  ac  in  eadem  villa  Calicie  sub  ordine  regimine  et  guberna- 
cione  maioris  constabulariorum  et  societatis  mercatorum  eiusdem 
stapule  nonnuUis  iam  retroactis  annis  et  temporibus  remanserit  .  . 
ac  eadem  stapula  et  eiusdem  societas  variis  priuilegiis  iurisdicionibus 
libertatibus  et  annuitatibus  per  dictum  Regem  Edwardum  tercium  et 
per  alios  progenitores  nostros  reges  Anglie  fulcita  .  .  extitere  tarn  per 
separales  eorundem  quondam  regum  chartas  et  concessiones  sub 
magno  sigiilo  Anglie  confectas  quam  per  diuersa  actus  et  statuta  in 
diuersis  parliamentis  edita  et  prouisa  Quequidem  societas  mercatorum 
stapule  et  mercatores  eiusdem  predicta  villa  Calicie  per  regem 
Francorum  sorori  nostri  precharissime  Regine  Marie  defuncte  ac 
huic  regno  Anglie  tunc  temporibus  hoste  dolo  malo  iampridem  sur- 
repta  et  capta  regnale  dicta  Regina  Maria  non  solum  a  bonis  et 
mercibus  suis  in  maximum  eorundem  mercatorum  dampnum  et  detri- 
mentum  verum  eciam  ab  usu  et  exercicio  mercature  et  mutui  com- 
mercii  et  omni  negociandi  genere  cum  alienigenis  penitus  sunt 
exclusi  et  expulsi  in  eorundem  (.  .)  subuercionem  et  internicionem 
perpetuam  nisi  eas  nostro  beneficio  breui  subueniretur  Et  quia  plu- 
rime  donaciones  et  concessiones  tam  per  diuersas  literas  patentes 
predictorum  progenitorum  nostrorum  sub  magno  sigiilo  suo  Anglie 
confectas  quam  per  diuersa  actus  et  statuta  diuersorum  parliamento- 
rum  edita  referebantur  et  extentebantur  solum  modo  maiori  consta- 
bulariis  et  societati  mercatorum  stapule  ville  Calicie  predicte  ob 
defectum  igitur  negociationis  et  commercii  in  eadem  villa  ut  predi- 
citur  surrepta  ac  in  Francorum  potestatem  deducta  vigor  et  validitas 
eorundem  concessionum  et  status  stapule  et  mercatorum  predictorum 
in  questionem  vocari  possit  Et  quia  dicta  societas  mercatorum  stapule 

'  Dots  indicate  omissions  in  the  text  not  essential  to  the  meaning. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  6/ 

habita  est  inter  cetera  societati  mercatorum  huius  regni  nostri  Anglie 
vna  ex  precipuis  at  antiquissimis  et  non  solum  singulari  fide  estima- 
cione  et  fame  apiid  exteros  antehac  dignissima  et  in  Corone  nostre 
Anglie  et  reipublice  eiusdem  membrum  vtile  et  necessarium  hucusque 
semper  estimatum  est  ac  reuenciones  et  prouentus  eiusdem  Corone 
custumis  et  subsidiis  bonorum  et  mercerum  suorum  racione  pro- 
ueniencium  multum  annexerint  et  promouerint  Sed  eciam  ciuitates 
burgi  oppida  ville  artifices  ceteraque  huius  regni  nostri  mem- 
bra cum  predictis  mercatoribus  stapule  et  mercature  sue  genere 
exercitata  et  frequentata  floruerunt  in  bono  statu  et  condicione 
vt  plurimum  fuerit  et  extiterit.  Nos  igitur  .  .  .  conferre 
de  gracia  nostra  speciali  ac  ex  certa  sciencia  et  mero  motu 
nostris  pro  nobis  heredibus  et  successoribus  nostris  volumus  ordi- 
namus  et  per  has  litteras  nostras  concedimus  quod  Willemus  Chester 
miles  Thomas  Offley  miles  et  Thomas  Lee  miles  Ricardus  Good- 
ericke  armiger  lohannes  Mershe  Edmundus  Hall  Willemus  Bury 
lohannes  Bradley  Cristoferus  Whithed  Thomas  Palfreyman  Thomas 
Dalton  Ricardus  Whethyll  et  lohannes  Hampton  ac  omnes  et 
singuli  alii  mercatores  stapule  nuper  nominati  mercatores  et  societas 
stapule  ville  Calicie  aut  mercatores  stapule  apud  villam  Caliciam  seu 
quocumque  alio  nomine  vel  aliis  nominibus  quibuscumque  cuius- 
cumque  incorporaciones  [s/c']  aut  corporis  politici  vocabantur  .  . 
qui  modo  sunt  aut  imposterum  erunt  de  societate  mercatorum  stapule 
predicte  sint  vna  societas  communitas  et  corpus  incorporatum  de  se 
re  et  nomine  habeantque  successionem  perpetuam  perpetuis  futuris 
temporibus  duraturam  ac  sint  et  erunt  in  re  facto  et  nomine  vnum 
corpus  incorporatum  per  se  imperpetuum  per  nomen  maioris  con- 
stabulariorum  et  societatis  mercatorum  stapule  Anglie  ac  ipsos  ma- 
jorem  constabularies  et  societatem  mercatorum  stapule  Anglie  et 
successores  suos  incorporauimus  stabiliuimus  et  vniuimus  et  corpus 
incorporatum  per  idem  nomen  et  sub  eodem  nomine  maioris  coh- 
stabularionum  et  societatis  mercatorum  stapule  Anglie  imperpetuum 
duraturum  realiter  et  ad  plenum  incorporamus  stabilimus  creamus 
erigimus  ordinamus  facimus  et  constituimus  per  presentes  Et  quod 
habeant  successionem  imperpetuam  et  com.mune  sigillum  rebus  et 
negociis  suis  deseruiturum.  Ac  volumus  ac  per  presentes  facimus 
ordinandus  creamus  et  constituimus  predictum  Willelmum  Chester 
militem  maiorem  stapule  Anglie  predicte  ac  predictos   lohannem 


68  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

Mershe  et  Edmundum  Hall  constabularies  dicte  stapule  Anglie 
usque  ad  festnm  Annunciacionis  beate  Marie  Virginis  proxime 
sequens  post  datam  harum  litterarum  nostrarum  patencium  perman- 
suros  et  continuandos  aud  diucius  vel  breuiori  tempore  prout  pre- 
dicte  societati  mercatorum  dicte  stapule  Anglie  vel  maiori  parti 
eorundem  indebitur  expedire.  Et  vlterius  pro  nobis  heredibus  et 
successoribus  nostris  volumus  et  per  presentes  concedimus  quod 
dicta  societas  mercatorum  dicte  stapule  Anglie  de  seipsis  eligere 
possint  et  valeant  apud  ciuitatem  nostram  London'  vel  alibi  vbi  dicta 
stapula  Anglie  fore  contigerit  et  mercandize  eiusdem  stapule  vendi- 
cioni  exponentur  de  tempore  in  tempus  imperpetuum  quociens  et 
quando  dicte  societati  .  .  aut  maiori  parti  eiusdem  ibidem  existenti 
visum  fuerat  expedire  vnum  maiorem  et  duos  constabularios  pro 
gubernacione  mercatorum  societatis  predicte  stapule  Anglie  eisdem 
et  consimilibus  modo  et  forma  prout  predicti  mercatores  et  societas 
stapule  dicte  ville  Calicie  tempore  capcionis  dicte  ville  Calicie  aut 
infra  vnum  annum  proximo  precedentem  dictum  tempus  capcionis 
eiusdem  ville  Calicie  eligere  poterant  vel  vsi  fuerant  quodque  iidem 
maior  et  constabularii  dicte  stapule  Anglie  pro  tempore  existentes 
habeant  eandem  tantem  et  consimilem  potestatem  et  auctoritatem 
predictos  mercatores  societatis  stapule  Anglie  in  omnibus  et  per 
omnia  gubernandos  regendos  et  tractandos  prout  maior  et  constabu- 
larii predicte  societatis  mercatorum  predicte  ville  Calicie  .  .  hab- 
uerunt  .  .  racione  seu  pretextu  aliquarum  concessionum  per  aliquem 
progenitorum  nostrorum  quondam  Regum  Anglie  seu  alicuius  statuti 
.  .  seu  aliter  quocumque  legittimo  modo.  Et  volumus  ac  per  pre- 
sentes .  .  concedimus  dictis  maiori  constabulariis  et  societati  merca- 
torum stapule  Anglie  predicte  et  successoribus  suis  quod  ipsi  et 
successores  sui  imperpetuum  per  nomen  maioris  constabulariorum  et 
societatis  mercatorum  stapule  Anglie  sint  et  erunt  imperpetuum  vnum 
corpus  corporatum  in  lege  sufificiens  capax  habile  et  idoneum  ad 
implacitandum  prosequendum  respondendum  et  defendendum  coram 
quibuscumque  iudicibus  et  iusticiariis  nostris  heredum  et  successorum 
nostrorum  tam  spiritualibus  quam  temporalibus  et  aliis  personis  qui- 
buscumque in  omnibus  curiis  nostris  .  .  in  omnibus  et  omnimodis 
accionibus  realibus  personalibus  et  mixtus  assisa  noue  dissesine  ac 
omnibus  aliis  placitis  .  .  quibuscumque  dictos  maiorem  constabularios 
et  societatem  .   .  seu  terras  tenementa  .   .  debita  seu  aliqua  alia 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  69 

eorundem  maioris  constabulariorum  et  societatis  .  .  tangentibus  con- 
cernentibus  seu  respicientibus.  Ac  vlterius  volumus  et  .  .  concedi- 
mus  per  presentes  prefatis  maiori  constabulariis  et  societati  .  .  et 
successoribus  suis  quod  dicta  societas  .  .  valeat  et  possit  .  .  libere  et 
licite  de  tempore  in  tempus  deinceps  imperpetuum  convenire  et  con- 
gregacionem  et  assemblacionem  de  seipsis  facere  tarn  infra  dictam 
civitatem  nostram  London'  quam  alibi  ubicunque  in  talibus  et  con- 
similibus  modo  et  forma  prout  dicta  societas  mercatorum  stapule  dicte 
ville  Calicie  .  .  in  dicta  ville  Calicie  .  .  facere  consueuerunt  vel  potue- 
runt.  Ac  quod  apud  dictam  ciuitatem  nostram  London'  seu  in  quouis 
alio  loco  vbi  dicta  stapula  Anglie  fore  contigerit  et  mercandise  euisdem 
stapule  vendicioni  exponende  de  tempore  in  tempus  possint  et  valeant 
de  eorum  communi  assensu  vel  de  communi  assensu  maioris  partis 
societatis  mercatorum  stapule  Anglie  adtunc  et  ibidem  congregate 
et  assemblate  libere  de  seipsis  nominare  et  eligere  vnum  maiorem 
pro  anno  adtunc  futuro  vel  minus  duraturum  permansurum  et  con- 
tinuaturum  ac  duos  constabularios  per  tres  menses  vel  minus  ad 
eiusdem  societatis  .  .  vel  maioris  partis  eiusdem  .  .  ibidem  con- 
gregate et  assemblate  voluntatem  et  libitum  duraturos  permansuros 
et  continuaturos,  Ac  eciam  quod  .  .  de  tempore  in  tempus  im- 
perpetuum valeant  et  possint  libere  et  licite  nominare  eligere  et  ad- 
mittere  in  dictam  societatem  .  .  ac  in  dictum  corpus  per  presentes 
corporatum  et  stabilitum  omnes  et  singulas  personas  quascumque  ex 
eiusdem  societatis  .  ,  communi  assensu  vel  maioris  partis  eiusdem 
.  .  ac  .  .  nominare  eligere  et  constituere  omnes  et  singulos  tales 
huiusmodi  et  consimiles  ofificiarios  ministros  et  seruientes  eiusdem 
stapule  Anglie  pro  anno  ad  tunc  futuro  seu  minis  ad  eiusdem  socie- 
tatis .  .  voluntatem  et  libitum  duraturos  et  deseruituros  quos  et 
quales  .  .  .  expedire  seu  commodum  et  necessarium  fore  pro  bonis 
ordine  regimine  et  gubernacione  predicte  stapule  Anglie  et  societatis 
eiusdem  videbitur.  Et  quod  eosdem  sic  nominates  electos  et  con- 
stitutos  .  .  pro  delictis  et  offensis  malo  regimine  seu  aliqua  occa- 
sione  vel  causa  racionabili  quacumque  ab  ofificiis  ministeriis  seu  ser- 
uiciis  suis  amouere  excludere  ac  alia  [jzV]  vice  et  in  loco  seu  locis 
eorundem  sic  amotorum  seu  exclusorum  vel  mortuorum  nominare 
eligere  et  preficere  ibidem  durare  deseruire  et  vt  predicitur  contin- 
uare.  Necnon  facere  ordinare  constituere  et  exequi  omnia  et 
singula  alia  necessaria  et  oportuna  dictam  societatem    .    .    eorum 


yO  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

statum  et  regimen  tangencia  seu  qualitercumque  concernencia  de 
tempore  in  tempus  libere  et  licite  valeant  et  possint  imperpetuum  in 
tarn  amplis  et  beneficialibus  modo  et  forma  prout  dicti  mercatores 
.  .  dicte  stapule  in  dicta  villa  Calicie  .  .  facere  consueuerunt  .  .  . 
Ac  vlterius  .  .  volumus  .  .  et  concedimus  prefatis  maiori  constab- 
ulariis  et  societati  mercatorum  stapule  Anglie  predicte  et  societati- 
bus  suis  quod  deinceps  stapula  lanarum  et  pellium  lanutarum  ab  hoc 
regno  nostro  Anglie  traducendarum  et  transport'andarum  per  merca- 
tores dicte  societatis  .  .  tenebitur  seruabitur  et  custodietur  in  opidis  et 
ciuitatibus  de  Brugis  in  Flandria  de  Middelburgo  in  Zelandia  et  de 
Bargis  super  Zone  in  Brabantia  seu  in  eorum  aliqua  tam  diu  quam  dicte 
societati  .  .  videbitur  expediri  vel  in  aliquo  alio  loco  conueniente  infra 
regnum  Anglie  vel  alibi  extra  regnum  Anglie  per  nos  heredes  vel 
successores  nostros  per  litteras  patentes  magno  sigillo  Anglie  sigillandas 
assignando  limitando  etappunctando  si  ad  aliquod  tempus  imposterura 
nobis  heredibus  vel  successoribus  nostris  ita  visum  fuerit  expedire 
ac  quod  dicta  stapula  lanarum  et  pellium  lanutarum  ibidem  de  tem- 
pore in  tempus  morabitur  .  .  et  erit  sub  ordine  .  .  maioris  constab- 
ulariorum  et  societatis  mercatorum  stapule  .  .  in  consimilibus  modo 
et  forma  prout  dicta  societas  mercatorum  stapule  in  predicta  villa 
Calicie  vel  mercatores  eiusdem  .  .  regebantur  .  .  infra  dictam  villam 
Calicie  seu  alitor  .  .  .  Volumus  .  .  et  concedimus  quod  predicta  sta- 
pula .  .  de  aliquo  predictarum  ciuitatum  opidorum  vel  locorum  de 
Brugis  Middelburgo  seu  Bargis  predictis  vel  de  aliquo  alio  loco  vbi 
predicta  stapula  Anglie  imposterum  teneri  .  .  contigerit  de  cetero 
non  amoueatur  .  .  nisi  monicio  ac  noticia  inde  .  .  per  litteras  patentes 
magno  sigillo  Anglie  sigillatas  prefatis  maiori  constabulariis  et  socie- 
tati mercatorum  stapule  .  .  dirigendas  et  prefato  maiori  vel  vni  con- 
stabulariorum  stapule  .  .  pro  tempore  existencium  deliberandas  per 
spacium  nonem  mensium  ante  quamlibet  talem  amocionem  vel  trans- 
lacionem  detur.  Preterea  .  .  damns  et  concedimus  prefatis  maiori 
et  constabulariis  et  societati  .  .  et  successoribus  suis  imperpetuum  .  . 
plenariam  et  integram  potestatem  .  .  quod  ipsi  et  omnes  et  singuli 
mercatores  eiusdem  societatis  .  .  et  apprenticii  eorum  .  .  de  tempore 
in  tempus  imperpetuum  sine  impedimento  .  .  libere  et  licite  et  im- 
pune  valeant  et  possint  .  .  emere  negociari  marcari  omnia  genera  et 
species  lanarum  infra  hoc  regnum  .  ,  crescentes  .  .  et  contractus 
facere  et  convenire  pro  eisdem  cum  omnibus  et  singulis  subditis  nos- 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  7I 

tris  .  .  et  aliis  personis  quibusciimque  cuiuscumque  status  seu  condi- 
cionis  sint  vel  fuerint  eadem  genere  lanarum  impaccata  et  in  saccos 
seu  in  poketos  redacta  compressa  et  signata  modo  et  forma  consuetis 
et  vsitatis.  Ac  eciam  omnes  et  omnimodas  pelles  lanutas  eskippare 
.  .  ab  et  extra  omnes  et  singulos  portus  et  portum  huius  regni  nostri 
Anglie  pro  eskippacione  .  .  lanarum  et  pellium  lanutarum  antehac 
limitatos  assignatos  seu  consuetos  vsque  ad  opidum  opida  civitates 
seu  vrbes  de  Brugis  Middilburg  seu  Bergis  super  Zone  predictis  seu 
vsque  ad  eorum  aliquod  vel  vsque  ad  aliquod  aliud  opidum  vrbem 
seu  locum  transmarinum  vel  alibi  infra  regnum  Anglie  vbi  dicta  sta- 
pula  Anglie  fore  contigerit  per  assignacionem  nostram  •  aut  heredum 
vel  successorum  nostrorum.  Ac  ea  ibidem  vendicioni  exponere  et 
vendere  quibuscumque  personis  et  cuicumque  persone  Ac  eciam 
quod  prefati  mercatores  societatis  stapule  Anglie  predicte  .  .  vendi- 
cioni exponere  ac  vendere  et  alienare  possint  et  valeant  infra  hoc 
regnum  nostrum  Anglie  vbicumque  lanas  refutatas  et  reiectas  vocatas 
refuce  wolles  et  particulas  lane  vocatas  lookes  quibuscumque  personis 
in  talibus  et  consimilibus  modo  et  forma  prout  dicta  societas  merca- 
torum  stapule  dicte  ville  Calicie  aut  mercatores  dicte  stapule  .  . 
facere  vendere  vel  alienare  potuerunt  absque  impeticione  .  . 
nostrum  heredum  vel  successorum  nostrorum  aut  aliorum  otifici- 
ariorum  ministrorum  seu  subditorum  vel  ligeorum  nostrorum. 
Et  absque  aliqua  pena  .  .  ea  occasione  sustinenda,  aliquo 
statuto  .  .  vel  consuetudine  ante  hac  habitis  .  .  incontra- 
rium  in  aliquo  non  obstantibus.  Ac  volumus  et  ordinamus 
per  presentes  quod  in  et  apud  quemlibet  portum  huius  regni  nostri 
Anglie  vbi  lane  et  pelles  lanute  in  nauibus  imponentur  vel  eskippa- 
buntur  ad  transportandum  et  traducendum  vt  prefertur  per  merca- 
tores stapule  Anglie  predicte  .  .  vbi  maior  eiusdem  stapule  tunc 
non  fuerit  commorans  seu  residens  quedam  indenture  de  tempore  in 
tempus  confecte  erant  inter  collectores  custume  et  subsidii  lanarum 
er  pellium  lanutarum  in  huiusmodi  portu  vt  prefertur  eskippandarum 
assignatos  ex  vna  parte  et  tales  et  huiusmodi  mercator  et  mercatores 
qui  eadem  ad  stapulam  predictam  .  ,  traducere  et  transportare  vol- 
uerint  .  .  ex  altera  parte  specificando  ac  ostendendo  sigillatim  tam 
nomina  mercatorum  ibidem  eskippancium  quam  quantitatem 
bonorum  et  mercandizarum  ibidem  in  naues  mercatorum  vt  prefertur 
eskippatorum.     Cuius  quidem  indenture  vna  pars  sigillabitur  sigillo 


72  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

nostro  .  .  vocato  le  Cocket  ac  altera  pars  eiusdem  sigillabitur  sigillo 
.  .  mercatoris  .  .  eadem  transportantis  .  .  Ita  quod  iidem  coUec- 
tores  .  .  possint  et  valeant  .  .  vnam  partem  indenture  predicte 
habere  penes  se  remanentem  ad  exhibendum  et  ostendendum  in 
scaccario  nostro  .  .  ea  intencione  vt  iidem  mercatores  .  .  onerentur 
.  .  ibidem  de  et  pro  solucione  custume  et  subsidii  nobis  .  .  inde 
debitis  et  soluendis  et  alteram  partem  eiusdem  indenture  dicto  sigillo 
nostro  vocato  le  Cocket  sigillatam  mercator  et  transportator  .  . 
earundem  lanarum  et  pellium  lanutarum  immediate  post  transfre- 
tacionem  et  arriuacionem  nauium  apud  stapulam  predictam  ostendet 
deliberabit  .  .  maiori  aut  eius  locumtenenti  et  constabulariis  stapule 
Anglie  predicte  .  .  vel  eorum  vni.  Quamquidem  partem  indenture 
iidem  maior  vel  eius  locumtenens  et  constabularii  vel '  eorum  vnus 
infra  spacium  trium  mensium  post  recepcionem  eiusdem  certifi- 
cabunt  et  deliberabunt  in  scaccarium  nostrum  .  .  Et  si  maior 
stapule  Anglie  predicte  in  portu  vbi  huiusmodi  lane  et  pelles  lanatas 
in  nauibus  onerabuntur  seu  eskippabuntur  commorans  seu  residens 
sit  .  .  tunc  volumus  quod  indenture  fiant  inter  coUectores  seu  col- 
lectorem  custume  et  subsidii  eiusdem  portus  .  .  ex  vna  parte  et 
maiorem  stapule  .  .  ex  altera  parte  specificantes  ac  ostendentes 
sigillatim  tarn  nomina  mercatorum  ibidem  eskippancium  quam  quan- 
titatem  bonorum  et  mercandizarum  ibidem  in  naues  oneratorum  et 
vt  prefertur  eskippatorum  consimilibus  modo  et  forma  prout  superius 
specificatur  et  limitatur  Ac  quod  maior  stapule  .  .  in  tali  casu  in- 
denturas  predictas  infra  tres  menses  post  recepcionem  eorundem  in 
scaccario  nostro  .  .  ostendet  et  deliberabit  .  .  Volumus  insuper 
per  presentes  quod  predict!  maior  constabularii  et  societas  .  .  et 
eorum  successores  de  tempore  in  tempus  infra  spacium  trium  men- 
sium proximorum  post  eskippacionem  et  transfretacionem  extra 
regnum  Anglie  aliquarum  lanarum  et  pellium  lanutarum  ad  stapulam 
predictam  transportandarum  .  .  bene  et  fideliter  persoluent  seu 
satisfacient  .  .  nomine  custume  et  subsidii  nobis  .  .  ad  receptam 
scaccarii  nostri  .  .  pro  quolibet  sacco  lane  vbi  quando  et  quamdiu 
numerus  saccorum  lane  eskippatorum  vel  eskippandorum  aliquo  tem- 
pore infra  spacium  vnius  anni  non  excedebat  numerum  trium  millium 
saccorum  tres  libras  bone  et  legalis  monete  Anglie  et  pro  quolibet 
sacco  lane  excedente  dictum  numerum  trium  millium  saccorum 
aliquo   tempore    infra    spacium    vnius   anni    eskippato  .   .  quatuor 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  73 

marcas  bone  et  legalis  monete  Anglie  et  non  vltra  et  pro  qualibet 
pelle  lanuta  duos  denarios  legalis  monete  Anglie  absque  vlteriore 

dilacione   fraude   seu   covina Et   insuper    .    .    volumus 

ac  per  presentes  .  .  concedimus  prefatis  maiori  constabulariis  et 
societati  .  .  et  eorum  successoribus  imperpetuum  .  .  quod  .  .  habeant 
teneant  vtentur  gaudeant  et  exerceant  .  .  tam  infra  hoc  regnum 
nostrum  Anglie  quam  alibi  tot  talia  tanta  eadum  huiusmodi  et  con- 
similia  libertates  consuetudines  franchesias  priuilegia  potestates  auc- 
toritates  preheminencias  iurisdicciones  annuitates  commoditates  ac 
omnia  alia  iura  quecumque  cuiuscumque  generis  speciei  nature  quali- 
tatis  seu  condicionis  fuit  .  .  non  existencia  repugnancia  siue  con- 
traria  hiis  litteris  nostris  patentibus  vel  alicui  articulo  in  eisdem  con- 
tento  et  specificato  quot  et  qualia  quanta  et  que  predicti  maior  et 
constabularii  et  societas  mercatorum  stapule  dicte  ville  Calicie  .  . 
habuerunt  exercuerunt  gauisi  aut  vsi  fuerunt  .  .  racione  vel  pre- 
textu  aliquorum  statutorum  siue  actum  parliamenti  aut  aliquarum 
litterarum  patencium  per  aliquem  progenitorum  nostrorum  quondam 
Regum  Anglie  habitarum  siue  factarum  aut  alicuius  prescripcionis 
seu  consuetudinis  aut  aliquo  alio  legali  modo  iure  seu  titulo  quibus- 
cumque  aliqua  forisfactura  non  vsu  seu  abusu  earundem  seu  eorundem 
alicuius  antehac  habita  seu  facta  seu  aliqua  alia  re  materia  causa 
lege  statute  consuetudine  vsu  proclamacione  surrepcione  et  capcione 
predicte  ville  Calicie  seu  continuacione  eiusdem  in  manibus  et  pos- 
sessione  Francorum  predictorum  aut  aliqua  alia  re  causa  vel  materia 
quacumque  in  aliquo  non  obstante  Et  denique  .  .  .  volumus  et 
concedimus  prefatis  maiori  constabulariis  et  societati  mercatorum 
dicte  stapule  Anglie  et  eorum  successoribus  imperpetuum  .  .  quod 
le  littere  nostre  patentes  ac  omnia  et  singula  concessiones  .  .  in 
eisdem  contenta  et  specificata  accipientur  capientur  et  interpreta- 
buntur  ac  tam  coram  nobis  consilio  nostro  in  Stellata  Camera  nostra 
quam  coram  nobis  in  Banco  nostro  coram  iusticiariis  nostris  in  com- 
muni  Banco  coram  thesaurario  et  baronibus  scaccarii  nostri  et  in 
quibuscumque  curiis  nostris  .  .  ac  in  omnibus  aliis  locis  infra 
dominia  nostra  .  .  benignius  et  magis  graciose  ac  in  fauorem  maioris 
constabulariorum  et  societatis  mercatorum  dicte  stapule  Anglie  pro 
tempore  existencium  et  cuiuslibet  eiusdem  societatis  et  apprentic- 
ioram  eorundem  et  eorum  cuiuslibet  ac  maxime  et  precipue  in  eorum 
commodum  et  vtilitatem  ac  fortissime  .   .  versus  nos  heredos  et  sue- 


74  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

cessores  nostros  aliqua  progatiua  preheminencia  lege  consuetudine 
statute  siue  actu  parliamenti  seu  aliqua  re  causa  vel  materia  qua- 
cumque  incontrarium  antehac  habita  ordinata  facta  seu  vsitata  in 
aliquo  non  obstante.  Ac  eciam  volumus  etc.  Eo  quod  expressa 
mencio  etc.  In  cuius  rei  etc.  Teste  rege  apud  Westmonasterium 
XXX  die  Maii. 

Per  breve  de  private  sigillo  etc. 

Charter  granted  by  James  I  to  the  Merchants  of  the  Staple 
OF  England,  1617. 

Sign  Manual  Grants  and  Warrants,  James  I,  vol.  8,  no.  13. 

James  R. 

Rex  omnibus  ad  quos  etc.  salutem.  Cum  Societas  Mercatorum 
Stapule  sit  et  de  antique  fuerit  inter  ceteras  societates  mercatorum 
huius  regni  nostri  Anglie  vna  ex  praecipuis  et  fama  dignissima 
imbutu  stabilita  et  confirmata  cum  diversis  privelegiis  iurisdiccionibus 
libertatibus  et  imunitatibus  tam  per  diversas  literas  patentes  pro- 
genitorum  nostrorum  sub  magno  Sigillo  Anglie  sigillatas  quam  per 
diversa  acta  et  statuta  facta  edita  et  ordinata  in  diversis  huius  regni 
parliamentis  Et  cum  domina  Elizabetha  nuper  Regina  Anglie  soror 
nostra  precharissima  pro  meliori  continuacione  et  stabilitate  dicte 
antique  societatis  et  incorporacionis  per  literas  suas  patentes  sub 
magno  sigillo  suo  Anglie  confectas  gerentes  datum  tricesimo  die  Maii 
anno  regni  sui  tercio  de  gracia  sua  speciali  ac  ex  certa  sciencia  et 
mero  motu  suis  pro  se  heredibus  et  successoribus  suis  voluerit  ordi- 
naverit  et  concesserit  quod.  .  .  [Here  follows  an  inspeximus  of  Eliz- 
abeth's Charter  of  1561.]  Cumque  nos  super  matura  deliberacione 
inde  habita  luculenter  invenimus  continuacionem  vel  permissionem 
alicuius  vlterius  transportationis  lanarum  vel  pellium  lanatarum  ad 
dictas  villas  de  Brugis  Midelburgo  ac  Bargis  super  Zone  vel  ad  ali- 
quas  alias  quascumque  partes  exteras  et  transmarinas  ad  grave  dam- 
num et  preiudicium  status  et  rei  publice  huius  Regni  nostri  Anglie 
tendere  Sciatis  quod  nos  ad  premissa  consideracionem  habentes  pro 
vtilitate  regni  nostri  Anglie  ac  pro  melioracione  dicte  societatis  mer- 
catorum stapule  Anglie  et  de  advisamento  consilii  nostri  pro  nobis 
heredibus  et  successoribus  nostris  volumus  et  ordinamus  ac  per  pre- 
sentes  declaramus  et  significamus  voluntatem  et  beneplacitum  nos- 
trum dicte  Maiori  Censtabulariis  et  Societati  Mercatorum  Stapule 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  75 

Anglie  ac  omnibus  aliis  quibuscumque  quorum  interest  seu  interesse 
poterit  in  hac  parte  Quod  Stapula  lanarum  et  pellium  lanatarum 
removeatur  a  dictis  civitatibus  .  .  de  Brugis  Midelburgo  et  Bergis  super 
Zone  Ac  per  presentes  precipimus  prefatis  Maiori  Constabulariis  et 
Societati  .  .  .  quod  ipsi  et  eorum  singuli  infra  spacium  novem  men- 
sium  proxime  sequentum  post  datum  harum  nostrarurh  litterarum 
patencium  lanas  pelles  lanatas  res  et  mercandisas  suas  amoveant  et 
transferant  de  predictis  civitatibus  .  .  de  Brugis  Midelburgo  seu 
Bergis  predictis  .  .  et  quod  posthac  dicta  Societas  Mercatorum  Sta- 
pule  Anglie  predicte  vel  aliqui  eorum  lanas  seu  pelles  lanatas  non 
eskippabunt  nee  transportabunt  ad  dictas  civitates  .  .  de  Brugis 
Midelburgo  seu  Bergis  super  Zone  predictis  .  .  Et  vlterius  volumus 
ordinamus  et  constituimus  pro  nobis  heredibus  et  successoribus  nos- 
tris  Quod  posthac  deinceps  Stapula  lanarum  et  pellium  lanatamm 
huius  regni  nostri  Anglie  tenebitur  servabitur  et  custodietur  infra  hoc 
regnum  nostrum  Anglie  in  civitatibus  villis  oppidis  et  locis  infranomi- 
natis  et  non  alibi,  videlicet,  in  civitatibus  London'  ac  suburbiis  eiusdem , 
Canterburie,  Exeter  Norwic,  Worrc.  Lincoln  Winton  et  in  villis 
Shrewsbury  et  Oswestrie  in  Comitatitu  [^/V]  Salopie  Northampton 
et  Brackley  in  comitatu  Northamptonie  Reading  in  comitatu  Berk' 
Cirencester  in  comitatu  Gloucestrie  Kendall  in  comitatu  Westmer- 
landie  Sherborne  in  comitatu  Dorsett,  Devises  in  comitatu  Wiltes 
Taunton  Deane  in  comitatu  Somersett  Ratsdale  in  comitatu  Lancas- 
trie,  Richmond,  Wakerfield  Hallifax  in  comitatu  Eboraci  Coggeshall 
in  comitatu  Essex  et  Woodstock  in  comitatu  Oxon'  Et  vlterius  nos 
ex  animo  affectantes  Stapulam  predictam  ac  Mercatores  et  Societatem 
eiusdem  pristino  decori  felicitati  opulentie  et  prosperitati  quantum  in 
nobis  est  restituere  et  reddere  eisdemque  Mercatoribus  et  Societati 
non  minores  aut  inferiores  libertates  iurisdictiones  privelegia  imuni- 
tates  et  emolumenta  quam  retroactis  temporibus  ex  progenitorum 
nostrorum  Regum  Anglie  munificencia  et  liberalitate  habuerunt  dare 
et  conferre  ac  vtile  reipulilice  nostre  existimantes  marcandisas  lan- 
arum sub  regimine  et  gubernacione  Maioris  Constabulariorum  et 
Societatis  Mercatorum  Stapule  Anglie  reduci  et  stabiliri  de  advisa- 
mento  consilii  nostri  et  de  gracia  nostra  speciali  ac  ex  certa  sciencia 
et  mero  motu  nostris  dedimus  concessimus  et  confirmavimus  ac  per 
presentes  damns  concedimus  et  confirmamus  Maiori  Constabulariis 
et  Societati  Mercatorum  Stapule  Anglie  et  successoribus  suis  .   .   . 


76  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

licenciam  libertatem  facultatem  plenam  liberam  et  integram  potes- 
tatem  et  authoritatem  quod  ipsi  .  .  .  per  seipsos  .  .  .  et  per  ap- 
prenticios  servientes  et  ministros  eorum  .  .  et  alios  quoscumque  in 
eorum  .  .  dominibus  .  .  inhabitantes  .  .  singulis  temporibus  et 
de  tempore  in  tempus  imperpetuum  sine  impedimento  ....  libere 
licite  et  impune  emere  acquirere  recipere  negotiari  et  mercari  Et 
pro  eisdem  convenire  ac  facere  inire  barganias  et  contractus  pro- 
missiones  dare  et  recipere  cum  omnibus  et  singulis  Subditis  nostris 
.  .  ac  tam  cum  ovium  et  decimarum  proprietariis  quam  etiam  aliis 
personis  quibuscumque  cuiuscumque  status  vel  condicionis  sint  .  . 
Ac  licet  lane  huiusmodi  empte  non  sint  .  .  vel  pro  eisdem  contrac- 
tum  non  sit  .  .  pro  provisione  Stapule  vel  ad  eskippandum  ad 
Stapulam  Calicie  Ac  quod  ipsi  .  .  sine  impedimento  .  .  in 
dictis  civitatibus  burgis  et  villis  supranominatis  et  pro  stapula 
assignatis  et  ordinatis  videlicet  in  civitatibus  London'  et  subur- 
biis  eiusdem  .  .  vel  in  allis  quibuscumque  civitatibus  burgis  villis 
sive  locis  infra  hoc  regnum  Anglie  seu  dominium  Wallie  impos- 
terum  .  .  .  assignandis  .  .  ad  omnia  tempus  et  tempora  anni  et 
super  quocumque  die  vel  diebus  in  hebdomado  preter  diem 
et  dies  dominicas  omnes  et  omnimodas  lanas  non  solum  lanas 
refutas  reiectas  et  viles  vocatas  refuse  course  woUe  et  locke  et  lanas 
non  aptas  pro  stapula  sed  etiam  omnes  et  omnimodas  alias  lanas 
cuiuscumque  sint  .  .  generis  specei  nature  vel  condicionis  crescentes 
.  .  infra  regnum  nostrum  Anglie  et  dominium  Wallie  predicta  .  . 
possint  ac  valeant  .  .  libere  licite  et  impune  venditioni  exponere 
vendere  et  alienate  quibuscumque  personis  .  .  et  pro  eisdem  conve- 
nire contractus  barganias  et  promissiones  inire  et  facere  cum  quibus- 
cumque personis  .  .  separalibus  statutis  et  actis  editis  in  diversis  et 
separalibus  parliamentis  separatim  tentis  in  anno  decimo  quarto 
Edwardi  nuper  Regis  Anglie  quarti  et  in  annis  quinto  et  sexto 
Edwardi  nuper  Regis  Anglie  sexti  intitulatis  An  Act  lymittinge  the 
tymes  for  buyinge  and  sellinge  of  wooUe  et  aliquibus  aliis  Statutis  vel 
aliquo  alio  Statuto  .  .  non  obstante.  Et  insuper  .  .  volumus  .  . 
concedimus  et  confirmamus  prefatis  Maiori  Constabulariis  et  Societati 
Mercatorum  Stapule  Anglie  predicte  et  eorum  successoribus  imper- 
petuum .  .  quod  prefati  Maior  Constabularii  et  societas  .  .  ac  eorum 
successores  imperpetuum  .  .  habeant  teneant  vtantur  gaudeant  et 
exerceant  .   .  infra  hoc  regnum  nostrum  Anglie  et  dominium  Wallie 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND  ^J 

predicta  apud  civitates  burgos  villas  oppida  et  loca  predicta  pro  sta- 
pula  assignata  et  ordinata  .  .  omnia  et  omnimoda  libertates  .  .  ac 
omnia  et  singula  iura  et  emolumenta  quecumque  cuiuscumque  generis 
specei  nature  qualitatis  sue  condicionis  sint  .  .  que  ante  datum  harum 
literarum  patencium  fuere  data  concessa  vel  confirmata  dictis  Maiori 
Constabulariis  et  societati  Mercatorum  Stapule  vel  predecessoribus 
suis  per  dictam  nuper  Reginam  Elizabetham  vel  per  aliquem  progeni- 
torum  nostrorum  Regum  vel  Reginarum  Anglie  vel  per  aliqua  Statuta 
.  .  in  aliquibus  parliamentis  .  .  edita  quocumque  nomine  .  .  vel  addi- 
cione  nominis  seu  incorporacionis  tunc  vel  vnquam  antehac  cense- 
bantur  vocabantur  seu  nominabantur  et  in  tam  amplis  modo  et  forma 
ad  omnes  intenciones  et  proposiciones  prout  predicti  Maior  Consta- 
bularii  et  Societas  Mercatorum  Stapule  vel  predecessores  sui  .  .  in 
aliquo  tempore  .  .  quando  eskippacio  sive  transportacio  lanarum  seu 
pellium  lanatarum  extra  hoc  regnum  Anglie  fuere  licenciata  seu  non 
licenciata  prohibita  seu  non  prohibita  habuerunt  vsi  seu  gauisi  fuerunt. 
Et  vlterius  .  .  damus  concedimus  et  confirmamus  prefatis  Maiori 
Constabulariis  et  Societati  .  .  et  successoribus  suis  quod  ipsi  et  suc- 
cessores  sui  de  tempore  in  tempus  'imperpetuum  possint  et  valeant 
habere  tenere  et  exercere  regimen  et  gubernacionem  totius  Socie- 
tatis  predicte  .  .  apud  civitatem  London'  in  loco  ibidem  vocato 
Ledden  Hall  vel  alibi  tam  infra  quam  extra  civitatem  pre- 
dictam  ubicumque  predictis  Maiori  Constabulariis  et  Societati  .  . 
vel  maiori  parti  eorundem  in  ea  parte  visum  fuerit  statuere  et  ordi- 
nare.  Et  quod  omnes  et  singuli  predicti  mercatores  stapule  Anglie 
tam  presentes  quam  futuri  apud  predictas  civitates  burgos  villas  op- 
pida seu  loca  predicta  pro  stapula  assignata  vel  ordinata  .  .  inhab- 
itantes  commorantes  vel  mercaturam  suum  \_sic\  lanarum  et  pellium 
lanatarum  quoque  modo  exercentes  sint  et  erint  habeantur  et  tene- 
antur  sub  regimine  et  gubernacione  predictorum  Maioris  Constabu- 
lariorum  et  Societatis  .  .  et  successorum  suorum  vel  maioris  partis 
eorundem  insimul  assemblate  sic  vt  prefertur  habita  tenta  et  exer- 
cita  .  .  apud  Ledden  Hall  London  predictam  vel  alibi  vbicumque 
per  predictos  Maiorem  Constabularios  et  Societatem  .  .  secundum 
libertates  leges  et  ordinaciones  .  .  predictas.  Proviso  semper  quod 
hec  presens  concessio  seu  aliqua  in  ea  contenta  non  extendatur  re- 
stringere  seu  reprimere  aliquem  .  .  nativorum  subditorum  nostrorum 
.  .  pannarium  .  .  nee  aliquos  alios  huiusmodi  natives  qui  convertunt 
lanas  in  filum  laneum  vel  in  aliquod  genus  pannorum   laneorum 


yS  THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

vel  in  aliam  manufacturam  factam  de  lanis.  Qui  ipsi  et  eorum 
aliqui  eorum  factores  apprenticii  et  ministri  inhabitantes  in  ipsorum 
.  .  domibus  mansionalibus  .  .  possint  ac  valeant  .  ,  hoc  licite  et 
impune  emere  acquirrere  et  mercari  omnia  genera  lanarum  de  aliqua 
persona  .  .  ad  convertendum  easdem  lanas  ad  huiusmodi  proposita 
et  intenciones  prout  ipsi  legitime  facere  possent  ante  datum  harum 
literarum  nostrarum  patencium  Eo  quod  expressa  mencio  de  certi- 
tudine  premissorum  seu  eorum  alicuius  aut  de  aliis  donis  sive  con- 
cessionibus  per  nos  vel  per  aliquem  progenitorum  sive  predecessorum 
nostrorum  prefatis  Maiori  Constabulariis  et  Societati  Mercatorum 
Stapule  Anglie  predicte  sive  eorum  alicui  ante  hec  tempora  factis  in 
presentibus  minime  facta  existit.  Aut  aliquo  Statuto  Actu  ordina- 
cione  proclamacione  aut  aliqua  re  causa  vel  materia  quacumque  in 
aliquo  non  obstante. 

In  cuius  rei  testimonium  etc. 

ur 
Ex       per 

H :  Yeluerton. 
It  may  please  your  most  excellent  Ma  :  "'■ 

This  conteyneth  yo' :  Ma""'  Confirmacion  to  the  Marchantes  of 
the  Staple  of  a  Chartre  graunted  them  by  the  late  Queene  Elizabeth 
in  the  thirde  yeare  of  her  Raigne. 

And  yo'  Ma'-''  doth  heereby  transferr  the  Staple  for  VVooles  as- 
signed by  the  said  late  Queene  to  Middleborough  Burgis  and  Burgen 
an  Zoane  unto  divers  Citties  and  principall  Townes  in  this  yo' 
Realme  of  England  where  the  Merchantes  of  the  Staple  are  to  putt 
their  woolles  to  sale. 

And  is  done  by  order  from  the  L  : "'' 
of  yo'  Ma'"'  privy  Councell. 
Henry  Yeluerton 
[^£ndorsei/ :']  Grant  to  the   Marchantes  of  the  Staple, 

Grant   of   the    Merchants    of   the    Staple. 

1617 
Expeditum  apud  Westmonasterium 

vicesimo  sexto  die  Martii  anno  regni 
Regis  lacobi  decimo  quinta 

L.  WiNDEBANK. 

[The  letters  patent'  are  dated  29  March.] 
'  Patent  Roll,  15  James  I,  part  6. 


THE    STAPLE    OF    ENGLAND 


79 


Table  Showing  the  Location  of  the  Staple  ok  England  from  1285  to  161 7. 


1285. 

1297  (circa). 

1302. 

1314- 

1315- 
1320. 

1325- 
^r|2ej(May24). 


Staple  located  at  Dordrecht. 
"  "         "  Bruges. 


"         "  Antwerp. 

"         "  St.  Omer. 

"         "  Antwerp. 

"         "  St.  Omer. 

"         "  Bruges, 
on  the  continent  abolished,  and  staples  held  at  certain  places 

in  the  realm.    No  English  Staple  on  the  continent  from 

1326-1338. 

1327. Allstaj)les^olished  from  September  till  Christmas. 

1328-1332.     All  staples  abolished. 
1332-1334.     Staples  held  in  the  realm. 
1334-1337.     All  staples  abolished. 
1337-1338.     Staples  held  in  the  realm. 
1338-1341.     Staple  located  at  Antwerp. 
1 341-1353.     Staple  located  at  Bruges. 

1347.  Staple  for  tin,  lead,  feathers  and  woolen  cloth  removed  to  Calais. 

Staple  for  wool  remained  at  Bruges. 

Staple  for   wool  abolished  on  the  continent,  and  held  at  certain 
places  in  England. 
1 363-1 369.     Staple  located  at  Calais. 

/^^-I373.     Staple  on  the  continent  abolished;  staples  held  in  the  realm. 
1373-1383.     Staple  located  at  Calais. 
1383-1388.         "  "        "  Middleburgh. 

1 388-1 39 1.         "  "        "  Calais. 

1391-1392.     Staple  at  Calais  abolished;   staples  held  in  the  realm. 
1392-1558.     Staple  located  at  Calais. 
1558.  Staple  removed  from  Calais  to  Middleburgh. 

1558-161 7.     Staple   located  at  Middleburgh,  Bruges,  Bergen-op-Zoom  or  else- 
where in  the  Low  Countries. 
161 7.  Staple  on  the  continent  abolished;   staples  held  at  various  places  in 

England,  Ireland  and  Wales. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


Manuscript  Sources — Charters  : 

Charter  of  1561.     Patent  Roll,  3  Elizabeth,  part  2,  mem.  27. 
Charter  of  1617.      Sign  Manual,  Grants  and  Warrants.      James  I. 
vol.  8,  no.  13. 

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Annates  Paulini:  Chronicles  of  Edward  II  and  III.  (Rolls  Series.) 
Armstrong,  C,  Treatise  Concerning  the  Staple  and  Commonwealth 

of  this  Realm;  in  R.  Pauli,  Drei  Denkschriften. 
Calendar  of  the  Close  Rolls.    —  vols.,  4°.     London,  1892. 
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Calendar  of  State  Papers.    —  vols.,  4°.     London,  1890. 
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Hakluyt,  Richard,  The  Principal  Navigations,  Voyages,  TrafUqucs 
and  Discoveries  of  the  English  Nation.     12  vols.,  8°.    Glasgow. 
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Higden,  Ranulf,  Polychronicon.    Vol.  IX.     (Rolls  Series.) 
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vols.,  4°.     Bruges,  1871-1885. 
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1805. 
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ten.    4°.    Gottingen,  1878. 

81 


82  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

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Records  of  the  Borough  of  Nottingham.  [1155-1625.].  4  vols.,  8°. 
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Rotuli  Parliamentorum.     6  vols.,  folio. 

Rymer,  Thomas,  Foedera,  Conventiones,  Literae.  3d  ed.,  lo  vols., 
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Schanz,  Georg,  Englische  Handelspolitik  gegen  Ende  des  Mittel- 
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Statutes  of  the  Realm.     9  vols.,  folio.     London,  1810-1828. 

The  Cely  Papers.  Camden  Series  of  the  Royal  Historical  Society 
Publications.  4°.  London,  1890.  (Letters  of  Merchants  of  the 
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Varenbergh,  fimile.  Relations  diplomatiques  entre  le  Comte  de 
Flandre  et  I'Angleterre  au  moyen  age.    8°.     Bruxelles,  1874 

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Warnkoenig,  Leopold  A.,  Histoire  de  la  Flandre,  et  de  ses  institu- 
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IVars  of  the  English  in  France.  Henry  VI.  Vol.  L  (Rolls 
Series.) 

Wheeler,  A   Treatise  of  Commerce.    4°.     London,  1601. 

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Kervyn  de  Lettenhove,  Joseph  M.  B.  C.  (Baron),  Histoire  de 
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Ochenkowski,  W.  von,  Englands  wirthschaftliche  Entwickelung  im 
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